NCACC Legislative Alerts

Jan. 27, 2010
Federal proposal on hotel tax revenues could cost N.C. counties $75M

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is considering language in its "jobs" bill to exempt online travel companies (OTCs) such as Expedia and Hotels.com from collecting local occupancy taxes, potentially leading to eliminating all occupancy taxes on room rental bookings. For North Carolina counties, that could be a revenue loss in excess of $75 million. While neither North Carolina senator sits on the Senate Finance Committee, NACo is very concerned that such legislation could move very quickly. Please take a moment to call Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and voice your concerns over this preemption of state and local taxing authority.

Sen. Richard Burr: Phone: (202) 224-3154; Fax: (202) 228-2981
Sen. Kay Hagan: Phone: (202) 224-6342; Fax: (202) 228-2563

Visit capwiz.com/naco/home for more information via NACo's Legislative Action Center.

Dec. 16, 2009
Collective bargaining rights not included in Defense Appropriations

Yesterday we alerted you to an attempt to include mandatory collective bargaining rights for public safety employees as an add-on to the U.S. Defense Appropriations Conference Report. We asked that you immediately call your Congressional delegation to voice your opposition to this effort. Your efforts were successful: We have learned from the National Association of Counties that the collective bargaining language is not included in the report, which was voted on in the House on Dec. 16. Our thanks to you personally for responding immediately and we would ask that you extend your appreciation to your delegation.

Dec. 15, 2009
Congress considering collective bargaining bill

ISSUE:

• Collective bargaining for public safety employees
• Congress may include Collective Bargaining Provision in the Defense Appropriations Bill

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR COUNTIES:

• Counties would be forced to negotiate with selected classes of employees as a group.
• This is seen as a first step toward unionization of all classes of public employees.

ACTION NEEDED:

• Call your congressional delegation today.

MESSAGE:

• Tell them “No!” to public employee unionization.
• Do not include Public Safety Employer Employee Cooperation Act (S1611/HR 413) in the Defense Appropriations Conference Report.

BACKGROUND:

We have been alerted that there is a very real attempt to amend the U.S. Defense Appropriations Conference Report to include language to require all states and their local governments to allow collective bargaining for public safety employees, including sheriff's deputies, EMS workers and firefighters.

We need you to take immediate action and call your Congressman and Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr today and ask them to oppose including the Public Safety Employer Employee Cooperation Act (S1611/HR 413) into the Defense Appropriations Conference Report. Ask them to contact their House/Senate leadership and urge them to keep the public safety employee collective bargaining language out of the Defense Appropriations Report. If this language is included in the conference report, it will be very difficult for any congressional member to vote against a bill to fund the Department of Defense simply due to the inclusion of the collective bargaining bill.

NACo’s POSITION STATEMENT:

Please see below the National Association of Counties' description of this very intrusive legislation.

If enacted, the PSEECA would mandate state and local governments to enter into collective bargaining agreements with their public safety employees. The legislation provides minimum collective bargaining standards for state and local police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (excluding permanent supervisory or management employees).

Under the provisions of the bill, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) would be empowered to develop regulations and minimum criteria for state and local governments to permit public safety employees to form and join unions, and bargain over salaries, and terms and conditions of employment.

Under H.R. 413, every state’s laws must at a minimum provide the following bargaining rights to public safety employees:

• grant public safety officers the right to form and join a labor organization that is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining representative of the employees;
• require public safety employers to recognize the employees’ labor organization and agree to bargain with the union;
• provide for bargaining over hours, wages and terms and conditions of employment, and;
• require enforcement through state courts of all rights, responsibilities and protections provided by state law.