COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LEGISLATION

WHEREAS, an irrational patchwork of state laws, local ordinances and executive orders characterize public sector labor relations, with no equitable and uniform standards; and

WHEREAS, thousands of state employees are denied the legal right to bargain collectively over salaries and other economic conditions; and

WHEREAS, large numbers of public sector workers are still struggling to win the basic rights and protections gained by private sector workers under the National Labor Relations Act more than 55 years ago; and

WHEREAS, only 26 states have comprehensive laws mandating collective bargaining for all state and local government workers; thirteen states have no state legislation for any bargaining whatsoever. In the remaining states, the picture is mixed, with certain groups of public workers having bargaining rights such as local government employees only, or educational employees only, or police and firefighters only. In some cases, these workers are allowed to bargain on non-economic issues only; and

WHEREAS, the constitutional basis for the enactment of federal collective bargaining legislation that would afford state and local government employees the basic rights already enjoyed by private sector workers has been firmly established the U.S. Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, the world community, through the International Labor Organization (ILO), is currently investigating the failure of the U.S. government to assure the basic right of free association to its public employees:

RESOLVED, that the AFT affirm its support for and commitment to work toward enactment of legislation to establish a rational framework extending full collective bargaining rights to all state and local government employees; and

RESOLVED, that until such legislation is enacted, the AFT will work to achieve protections to organize and bargain collectively; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT affirm its support for and commitment to work toward enactment of legislation to extend the right to bargain collectively over salaries and other economic conditions of employment to state employees.