By Laylan Copelin
Austin American-Statesman (Texas)
Copyright 2007 The Austin American-Statesman
All Rights Reserved
Austin EMS workers would get ‘meet-and-confer’ rights similar to those that the city’s police and firefighters have enjoyed since 1995 after the House on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 1104.
Historically, the Legislature does not allow collective bargaining with governmental entities, but Houston, Austin, Fort Worth and some smaller Texas cities use the non-binding ‘meet and confer’ system to deal with wages and work issues.
Senate Bill 1104 now returns to the Senate where its sponsor, Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, is expected to agree to minor House amendments, said Austin Rep. Elliott Naishtat, who carried the bill in the House.