Statement

News from EPI The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would provide public service workers the national right to join in union

From teachers to firefighters to sanitation workers, public service workers provide a myriad of critical services to Americans every single day. These workers deserve the right to join together and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. While more than two dozen states have enacted laws to provide public service workers the ability to join in union, the remaining 25 lack any legal protections. The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act requires that states provide public sector workers the freedom to join in union and collectively bargain. As workers’ wages stagnate, unsafe workplaces become more prevalent, and inequality rises—now is the time for public sector workers to receive a national standard of bargaining rights. Congress should pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act immediately and provide all public sector workers collective bargaining protections.


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