Gridlocked Senate Rejects Cloture for Collective Bargaining

December 8, 2010 -- The U.S. Senate today rejected a procedural vote on the IAFF’s collective bargaining act, stalling efforts to give fire fighters the same workplace rights that workers in the private sector have had for more than 70 years.

The Senate voted 55-43 to bring the bill up for consideration, five votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster waged by anti-labor senators. The legislation was doomed by the solid opposition of Senate Republicans, who last week pledged to oppose cloture on any legislation -- even bills they support — before the Senate votes on extending the expiring tax cuts.

Three Democrats joined with 40 Republicans in voting against the bill, while 55 Democrats supported it.

“It’s a sad day in America when the rights of fire fighters are ignored in favor of tax breaks for millionaires,” IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger says.

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, S. 3991, has broad bipartisan support and won the support of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, but partisan gridlock prevented the Senate from approving the measure.

“The Senate is being deeply irresponsible. Failing to extend the collective bargaining rights that fire fighters deserve because they can’t reach an agreement on tax breaks is shameful,” Schaitberger says.

By seeking a cloture vote on collective bargaining, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) followed through on his commitment to bring the issue to the floor for an up or down vote while Democrats hold the majority in both chambers of Congress.

“I want to thank Senator Reid for fulfilling his commitment to the nation’s first responders. But it is deeply troubling that the Senate won’t approve a measure that has broad support from members on both sides of the aisle because they want to engage in partisan bickering and gamesmanship,” Schaitberger says.

The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote December 9 on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, H.R. 847.