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Permalink Reply by Yank2441 on April 28, 2008 at 1:53pm

This law is not over yet, although it will probably be the next session before it is considered again. Please keep looking at this and keeping track of it.

It is known as the Senate bill S2123 now as it has already passed the US House of Reps.

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Permalink Reply by Oldman on April 28, 2008 at 3:36pm

I am not either for it or against it, but I do want to examine all the wherefores, and whatnots, before I decide. My initial reaction is ... sounds great! But I wonder where this $30million a year in funding is going to come from. Are we going to have to pay more in taxes? Or what other program budgets are going to be cut in the name of funding (AFG, FP&S)? Or as the Feds have been known for, is the wording of this law (if it passes) going to be interpreted differently from the original intent, depending on who is in office. My mother always told me "be careful what you wish for... you might just get it". So I am going to study it and watch the bill as it makes the rounds on Capital Hill to make sure it is not totally changed as it transitions from one house to the other.

Just my thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Ted Bownas on April 28, 2008 at 6:42pm

I can see the IAFF trying to use this to resurrect their campaign to prevent career firefighters from volunteering in another municipality where they reside...I'm going to keep a close eye on it, too. I belong to a union (non-fire related) for my job, but as a taxpayer I'm wary of legislation designed to force municipalities into collective-bargaining agreements they may not be able to afford. The bill excludes political subdivisions with a population of less than 5,000 and/or employing less than 25 public safety officers, so hopefully that will eliminate some problems for villages like mine, which is NOT in a fiscal position to establish a paid fire department, and won't be for many more years, I suspect.

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Permalink Reply by Tom on April 29, 2008 at 12:23am

The bill will not limit the right of career firefighters to volunteer on their off-days. See this letter from the National Volunteer Fire Council. See the Wikipedia article for the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 here.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Crotty on April 29, 2008 at 4:03am

One should certainly read through the entire legistlation to see how it will impact them. I can surely see funding pinched off from somewhere else to support this effort.
I can't see money found to support initiatives, without paying the price elsewhere.

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Permalink Reply by Yank2441 on April 30, 2008 at 8:05am

This will be more of a local funding problem. The federal government will not be involved in the funding for this bill. All it does is requires municipalities to sit down and barter with the public safety unions.

Here in South Carolina, we do not have any muscle as a union because we are a right to work state and of course going on strike as a public safety officer is out of the question. This law would make our city look at our pay and benefits in comparison with other cities our size. It is not right for the cities in South Carolina to get away with the junk they get away with.

My insurance for full family coverage at the City of Gaffney was $300 a pay check. My insurance for full family coverage at the City of Spartanburg is still high at $160 a pay check. At both we were paid bi-weekly.

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