Eagle Pass Fire Fighters and Police Officers Collective Bargaining Rights set for May 7th Special Election

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

The Eagle Pass City Council held their first regular meeting of 2016 on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 in which they discussed and approved unanimously the third and final reading of an ordinance providing for notice of a Special Election to be held on the question of adoption of Collective Bargaining for city firefighters and police officers to be held on May 7, 2016, as well as designating the polling place, providing for the method of voting, providing for early voting, finding that the meeting at which this ordinance is passed is open to the public as required by law, providing a sever-ability clause, and establishing an effective date.

Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu opened up agenda item No.17 in which City Council and City Secretary Rodriguez discussed the available special election date for the City of Eagle Pass to hold the city fire fighters and police officers collective bargaining election being May 7, 2016 under House Bill 2354. The City Council unanimously approved the special election date for the collective bargaining of city fire fighters and police officers.

City Council also unanimously approved agenda item No.22 which called for the consideration and possible approval of a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas, amending Resolution No. 2015-37R regarding the calling for a Special Election to be held on the question of the adoption of collective bargaining for fire fighters and police officers and designating May 7, 2016, as the date of the Special Election.

City of Eagle Pass voters approved last year on May 9, 2015 the city’s fire fighters and police officers referendum election by an overwhelming 80% while only 20% opposed it, establishing the need for a special election to decide whether to approve collective bargaining rights to city fire fighters and police officers.

At the May 9, 2015 city special election, a total of 1,710 voters approved the city fire fighters and police officers collective bargaining referendum while only 425 voters disfavored the referendum in what was a low voter turnout election.

Collective bargaining rights allows the city fire fighters and police officers to be represented by trade union representatives regarding their work conditions and hours, salaries, promotions, grievance procedures, and disciplinary and/or termination procedures with the City of Eagle Pass.

If City of Eagle Pass voters approve collective bargaining rights for city fire fighters and police officers at the upcoming May 7, 2016 special election, fire fighters and police officers would be subject to the Texas Civil Service for Fire Fighters and Police Officers under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143 instead of the City’s personnel rules and grievance procedures.

The Civil Service for Firefighters and Police Officers Section of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 143, is designed to provide civil service protection for certain municipal employees including fire fighters and police officers.

The final measure necessary to approve and implement the City of Eagle Pass’s fire fighters and police officers collective bargaining rights under state law is the approval of the measure by city voters at the May 7, 2016 special election. If voters disapprove the collective bargaining rights measure, city fire fighters and police officers would remain under the city’s personnel rules and grievance procedures.

The city’s fire fighters and police officers collective bargaining measure on the May 7th special election will be hotly contested as a larger number of city voters are expected to participate since there are going to be City Council elections as well.