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Legislative Correpsondence_Opposing Amendment to Public Safety Cooperation ActCity Manager's Office City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 520014864 (563) 589 -4110 phone (563) 589 -4149 fax (563) 690 -6678 TDD ctymgr ©cityofdubuque.org The Honorable Tom Harkin United States Senate 731 Hart Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Harkin: July 13, 2010 On July 1, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Amendment 2 to H.R. 4899, the Public Safety Employer - Employee Cooperation Act. On behalf of the City of Dubuque, Iowa, I urge you to oppose this bill. The Public Safety Employer - Employee Cooperation Act, would severely damage the historic relationships that exist between state and local elected officials, their employees and the constituents they represent. The City of Dubuque provides all of its employees with excellent salaries, benefits and working conditions that are responsive to the fiscal needs and limitations of our city government, and reflect the priorities of the communities our elected officials represent. This legislation would force states and local governments to adopt federal collective bargaining standards, disregard existing state laws that were developed to create an effective and efficient public sector workforce, and place the needs of a select group of workers — public safety officers — in front of the larger needs of the community or other public employees. In light of the labor protections provided by state laws, labor agreements, civil service systems and personnel policies, I believe this law is unnecessary at best and potentially very damaging at worst. The state of Iowa has had an effective collective bargaining law since 1974. A mandate like the one prescribed in Amendment 2 to H.R. 4899 would interfere with the existing state law and usurp fundamental local government decision - making authority over the employment relationship. We value our public safety employees, as we do all of our employees. I urge you to oppose federal mandatory collective bargaining legislation and respect the long- standing principle of non - interference in employer - employee relations that has existed among federal, state and local governments. Thank you for your consideration. Service People Integrity Sincerely yours, THE CITY OF ci T U � G / Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager City of Dubuque, Iowa Responsibility Innovation Teamwork City Manager's Office City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -4864 (563) 589 -4110 phone (563) 589 -4149 fax (563) 690 -6678 TDD ctymgr @cityofdubuque.org The Honorable Charles Grassley 206 Federal Building 101 1st Street S.E. Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Dear Senator Grassley: On July 1, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Amendment 2 to H.R. 4899, the Public Safety Employer - Employee Cooperation Act. On behalf of the City of Dubuque, Iowa, I urge you to oppose this bill. The Public Safety Employer - Employee Cooperation Act, would severely damage the historic relationships that exist between state and local elected officials, their employees and the constituents they represent. The City of Dubuque provides all of its employees with excellent salaries, benefits and working conditions that are responsive to the fiscal needs and limitations of our city government, and reflect the priorities of the communities our elected officials represent. This legislation would force states and local governments to adopt federal collective bargaining standards, disregard existing state laws that were developed to create an effective and efficient public sector workforce, and place the needs of a select group of workers — public safety officers — in front of the larger needs of the community or other public employees. In light of the labor protections provided by state laws, labor agreements, civil service systems and personnel policies, I believe this law is unnecessary at best and potentially very damaging at worst. The state of Iowa has had an effective collective bargaining law since 1974. A mandate like the one prescribed in Amendment 2 to H.R. 4899 would interfere with the existing state law and usurp fundamental local government decision - making authority over the employment relationship. We value our public safety employees, as we do all of our employees. I urge you to oppose federal mandatory collective bargaining legislation and respect the long- standing principle of non- interference in employer - employee relations that has existed among federal, state and local governments. Thank you for your consideration. Service People July 13, 2010 Sincerely yours, Integrity Responsibility Innovation Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager City of Dubuque, Iowa Teamwork