Pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act

It would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights that states must provide, including allowing public service workers to join together and have a voice on the job to improve both working conditions and the communities in which they live and work. The bill gives public service workers the freedom to:   

• Join together in a union selected by a majority of employees;  
• Collectively bargain over wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment;  
• Resolve disputes with their employers through an unbiased process; 
• Use voluntary payroll deduction for union dues;  
• Engage in concerted activities related to collective bargaining and mutual aid;  
• Have their union be free from requirements to hold rigged recertification elections; and 
• File suit in court to enforce their labor rights.

This legislation gives public service workers the freedom to join together in a union to win respect and fair treatment on the job. By standing together, union members earn higher wages and are more likely to have employer-provided health care, pensions and benefits such as paid sick and family leave. Unions also help to secure safety standards, protections and the necessary resources for members to do their jobs well and to meet the needs of the communities they care about. 

For years, anti-worker politicians and their corporate donors have rigged the system, undermining the freedom of working people to join strong unions. That’s because they know that unions give workers the power in numbers they need to balance the scales. It’s time to level the playing field by establishing federal protections to guarantee public service workers the freedom to join together and collectively bargain.  

When public service workers have the freedom to negotiate, they can get the compensation they deserve and the resources they need to do their job and support their communities. 

A majority of public service workers are women; one-third of public service workers are African American, Latino or Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Their union membership provides them with higher wages and results in their being more likely to have employer-provided health care, pensions and benefits such as paid sick and family leave than their nonunion counterparts. Unions, through collective bargaining agreements and representation, provide women and people of color with protections and support to effectively confront and address discrimination. 

• Latinas who are members of a union earn 25% more than their nonunion counterparts. 
• African American union members earn 21% more – and Latino union workers 23% more – than their nonunion counterparts. 
• Women represented by public service unions are paid 16% more – nearly $10,000 more, on average, annually – than women in the public sector who are not represented by unions. 
• African American women who are members of a union earn 20% more than their nonunion counterparts.