Democrats in the United States House of Representatives have reintroduced a Bill that seeks to expand the right of Government workers to belong to a union.
The legislation is a key priority of President Joe Biden and is in stark contrast to the previous Republican Administration of Donald Trump which had sought to water down union power.
The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Bill, led by Representative Matt Cartwright, would prohibit States and Local Governments from preventing Public Servants from belonging to a union.
Democrats first introduced the Bill in 2018 following a Supreme Court ruling that blocked public sector unions from collecting dues from non-members, even though unions are required to represent them.
Mr Cartwright (pictured) said anti-worker forces were still seeking to chip away at worker protections through the courts “so it’s time to ensure collective bargaining rights for the millions of Public Servants across this nation”.
Public sector employees are barred from collective bargaining in about half of the States in the country.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says nearly 35 per cent of Government workers belong to a union.
President of the AFL-CIO federation of unions, Liz Shuler said Public Servants deserved the right to stand together with their co-workers in a union, to bargain together for safer and fairer working conditions.
Ms Shuler noted that Government employees such as teachers, nurses and sanitation workers had been dealing with the same pandemic-induced burnout and dangerous working environments as all workers across the country.
The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Bill has more than 150 co-sponsors in the House, although only two Republicans are backing the measure.
Mr Biden has called on Congress to pass the Bill alongside the PRO Bill, sweeping pro-labour legislation that would empower private sector workers to organise.
Republicans in the Senate have previously vowed to block both Bills.
Washington, 29 October 2021
