Bill to repeal collective bargaining law fails

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bill to repeal a law that allows city workers to collectively bargain with municipal officials died Monday in a state Senate committee on a 3-3 tie vote.<br/><br/>The measure passed

Monday, April 4th 2005, 12:53 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bill to repeal a law that allows city workers to collectively bargain with municipal officials died Monday in a state Senate committee on a 3-3 tie vote.

The measure passed the state House earlier in the session, 59-39. It sought to repeal a law enacted a year ago that is the subject of a series of lawsuits filed by municipal officials.

Voting against the plan in the Senate Business and Labor Committee were three Democrats on the panel, including Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, chairwoman. Three Republicans voted for the measure.

Blaine Rummel, spokesman for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said the committee vote was "a blow to those who would strip public employees of the freedom to negotiate with city management to improve city jobs and services."

"This is a tremendous victory for freedom," said Lisa Baker, a 911 dispatcher for the City of Bartlesville. "Now we urge those who would repeal the law to leave hardworking Oklahomans alone."

The Oklahoma Municipal League supported repeal of the law, which applied to cities with populations greater than 35,000.

Diane Pedicord, general counsel for the organization, said the failure of the bill to get out of the Senate committee "was not unexpected." She said there still is a chance the issue can be resurrected through an amendment on the Senate floor.

"We feel that it is still important to give all the members of the Senate a chance to vote on this issue," she said.

Rep. Bill Case, R-Midwest City, who introduced the repeal measure, said failure to address the issue could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

"If the full Senate were given the opportunity to debate the bill, I believe it would pass," he said.

He said the 2004 law is flawed because it would allow part-time employees to become union members and does not spell out what happens if an impasse occurs between a city and a union.

Case said the Legislature should repeal the law and save cities more money from court challenges. He noted that three district courts have ruled in favor of the cities of Enid, Lawton and Broken Arrow and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on May 10 in one case now on appeal.

He also was disappointed that the committee did not hear a companion bill that would have exempted from the collective bargaining act public trust hospitals in Muskogee, Stillwater and Norman.

"This is going to possibly put hospitals out of business at a time we already struggle to provide access to health care in rural Oklahoma," he said.