PRINTER'S NO. 755
No. 677 Session of 1977
INTRODUCED BY BURNS, J. L. WRIGHT, WEIDNER, McLANE, WANSACZ,
MUSTO, ZORD, WILSON, LINCOLN AND FISHER, MARCH 22, 1977
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, MARCH 22, 1977
AN ACT
1 Prohibiting employers from firing employees who lose time from
2 employment in the line of duty as volunteer firemen and
3 providing penalties.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. No employer shall fire an employee who is a
7 volunteer fireman and in the line of duty has responded to a
8 call prior to the time he was due to report for work resulting
9 in a loss of time from his employment.
10 Section 2. Any time lost from employment as provided in
11 section 1 may be charged to the employee's regular pay.
12 Section 3. Any employee losing time as provided in section 1
13 shall supply his employer with a statement from the chief of his
14 volunteer fire company stating that he responded to a call and
15 the time thereof.
16 Section 4. As used in this act, "line of duty" shall mean
17 going to, coming from or during fire prevention and safety
18 activities which includes fire prevention, first aid, rescue and
1 salvage, ambulance service, fire police work, assistance at
2 accidents, control of crowds both on the fire grounds and at
3 occasions of public or general assembly, animal rescue,
4 abatement of conditions due to storm, flood or general peril,
5 abatement or removal of hazards to safety and such other
6 activities as are commonly undertaken by fire companies and
7 their affiliated organizations.
8 Section 5. Any employer who willfully and knowingly violates
9 the provisions of this act shall be liable to the employee
10 affected in the amount of his unpaid wages and in addition, an
11 equal amount as liquidated damages. Action to recover such wages
12 and damages may be maintained in any court of competent
13 jurisdiction. The court in such action shall, in addition to any
14 wages and damages, allow a reasonable attorney's fee and costs
15 of the action to the plaintiff.
16 Any action pursuant to the provisions of this act must be
17 brought within two years from the date upon which the violation
18 complained of occurs.
19 Section 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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