Emergency Workers Look Ahead To Vote On Collective Bargaining Rights

Certain emergency workers could get collective bargaining rights if Amendment Two passes on the November 5th ballot. The measure, if approved, would allow state lawmakers to pass a law giving firefighters, ambulance workers, and dispatchers collective bargaining. Gary Markenson with the Missouri Municipal League is against the measure. He argues it would put decisions on pay and funding into the hands of third-party arbitrators who are not accounatble to the voters. He says elected officials need to make those decisions – not the arbitrators. But, John Corbett with the state council of firefighters says communities would have to agree to binding arbitration in the original agreement with emergency workers. And he says even then, arbitrators would have limits. Corbett adds there’s a no strike clause in the amendment.