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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

IAFF Collective Bargaining Bill up for Vote this Week

Hey all, I get a lot of questions about he Collective Bargaining Bill. Below is the update from the IAFF. Basically, YOU NEED TO CALL YOUR SENATORS TO SUPPORT THIS BILL. The switchboard for Senators is (202) 224 3121. Read more below.

By the way: Virginia's Senators are Jim Webb and John Warner. I made the phone calls and simply asked for their support in the Amendment for the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act by Senator Gregg, Kennedy, and Harkin. They said they would pass it along and asked for my zip code. This is a numbers game people. You better hope we outnumber the Right To Work people.

You can also email Senator Warner here

Or Senator Webb here

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The day we have long anticipated is at hand. The U.S. Senate will be considering the IAFF’s Collective Bargaining proposal TODAY between 3:45 and 5:00 p.m. A vote is likely tomorrow.


The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act was offered as an amendment to the Farm Bill by Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH), Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA).


We must mobilize our membership immediately to begin making phone calls to Senate offices. In every office, senators are already receiving dozens of calls -- from constituents in their states who oppose this vital legislation.


Our message is simple: Tell your senators, regardless of party, to vote in favor of the bipartisan Gregg, Kennedy, Harkin Amendment to the Farm Bill.


This is now a numbers game. Every Senate office has been educated on the issue. Your call is not about explaining the ins and outs of collective bargaining -- it's about generating as many phone calls as possible in the next 24-48 hours.


Again -- a very simple message -- vote in favor of the Gregg, Kennedy, Harkin Amendment to the Farm Bill.


The phone number for the Senate switchboard is (202) 224 3121. Your members can simply dial that number and ask to be connected to their respective senator's office.


Your assistance in mobilizing your members to make these phone calls is greatly appreciated.


Fraternally,

Kevin B. O’Connor
Assistant to the General President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
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Dear IAFF Member:

Our long antiicpated day has arrived. The U.S. Senate will be considering the IAFF's national collective bargaining bill in the next few days, with a vote likely to follow. I am asking all IAFF members to call their senators TODAY and tell them to support America's fire fighters and police officers by voting in favor of the Harkin-Kennedy-Gregg "Fire Fighter" amendment to the Farm Bill.

This is expected to be a very close vote, and your senators could be the deciding vote!

More than 80,000 of your brother and sister fire fighters in 18 states do not currently enjoy basic employment rights. The Harkin-Kennedy-Gregg "Fire Fighter" amendment ensures that every fire fighter has the right to collectively bargain.

National Right to Work and city managers are lobbying hard against us. To be successful, we need to flood the Senate with phone calls supporting the "Fire Fighter" amendment. Call your senators and ask your friends and family to call their senators in support of public safety officers.

This International has fought for the last 12 years to bring this issue to a vote. Please give five minutes of your time to call your senators and urge them to stand with their fire fighters and support the Harkin-Kennedy-Gregg amendment to the Farm Bill.

The Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Simply call this number and ask to be transferred to your senator's office.

With your help we can achieve one of the biggest victories in the history of the IAFF.

Support the "Fire Fighter" amendment.


Sincerely and Fraternally,



Harold Schaitberger
General President

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I called and did my part. I hope it goes through it will be a huge change in the dynamics of this department. I wonder if all the guys who ask what the union has done for them will call cause it is hard to get stuff done without the support of the members

Anonymous said...

Too late to call, but I dropped each an email and had my wife do so as well.

Mike R.