Provides for the right to strike for public sector workers in Rhode Island, including teachers, with exceptions for police officers, firefighters, 911 employees, and correctional officers.

## Summary of Rhode Island House Bill on Public Sector Workers' Right to Strike

This bill would give public sector workers in Rhode Island — meaning employees who work for state or local government — the legal right to go on strike. Currently, public employees in Rhode Island generally do not have the right to strike. Under this bill, government workers such as teachers, state agency employees, municipal workers, and other public employees would be allowed to strike as part of labor disputes, similar to the rights many private sector workers already have.

The bill specifically excludes certain categories of public employees who are considered essential to public safety. Police officers, firefighters, 911 emergency dispatchers, and correctional officers (those who work in prisons and jails) would **not** be given the right to strike under this legislation. These exceptions reflect the idea that interruptions in these particular services could pose immediate dangers to public safety.

This bill would most directly affect public school teachers, city and town employees, state government workers, and other non-emergency public sector employees across Rhode Island, as well as the communities they serve. If passed, it could change how labor negotiations work between government employers and their workers' unions, since the ability to strike is a significant tool in collective bargaining. It could also affect residents who rely on public services, as strikes could temporarily disrupt things like public education and government office operations.

The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and referred to the House Labor Committee for consideration, which is the first step in the legislative review process.