Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act

This bill would establish a federal framework to ensure that state and local public safety officers—including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel—have the right to form a labor union and collectively bargain with their employers. Under this legislation, the Federal Labor Relations Authority would be responsible for verifying that states provide these workers with the ability to negotiate over wages, hours, and working conditions.

For citizens, the bill aims to improve the quality and stability of emergency services by fostering more formal cooperation between first responders and the agencies that employ them. While the bill grants bargaining rights, it specifically prohibits strikes or lockouts by public safety personnel to ensure that essential community services are not interrupted. It also allows states to maintain their own labor laws as long as they meet the minimum federal standards for employee protections.