The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will hold a field hearing in Berkeley, Calif. exploring the challenges in first contract labor negotiations by examining the difficulty of reaching a first contract agreement in negotiations between the University of California and its post-doctoral scholars’ union.

In November 2008, after three years of organizing, the California Public Employment Relations Board certified the post-doctorial scholars union at the University of California. Despite this, the University of California system and the post-doctoral scholars, represented by the UAW, have been unable to reach a first contract.

On Wednesday, March 10, the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine legislation that would extend the right to bargain collectively for better working conditions, wages, or benefits to public safety officers such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services personnel. Only 25 states fully protect the right of state and local public safety employees to collectively bargain.

The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 would provide basic labor protections for state and local public safety workers. Identical legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2007 on a bipartisan vote of 314 to 97.