H.R. 980 would end local control of public safety labor contracts

Rocky Mountain News Editorial

...Sometimes, Washington politicians so arrogantly trample state laws and municipal ordinances that it's a wonder we even bother with policy-making at the local level. The latest possible intrusion comes in the form of H.R. 980, which would force every state to allow police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel to unionize...

...Colorado is one of the dozen states that allows localities to decide, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, whether collective bargaining for public safety personnel is in the best interest of the community.

H.R. 980 would overrule that local prerogative. As the bill moves to the Senate, we urge Colorado Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar to reject this bill, and preserve the freedom of local residents to decide which elements of compensation and working conditions can be negotiated in a labor agreement with safety employees...

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