May 13, 2008 -- In a remarkable show of bipartisan support for the IAFF and its members, 69 senators voted May 13 to consider H.R. 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. The 69-29 vote on the motion to proceed permits the Senate to debate and amend the bill. “Today, Senators from both parties stood up in support of America’s fire fighters, and stood up in support of our right to collectively bargain,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “This vote is truly a testament to the strength of our union and the respect its members garner on Capitol Hill.”