Let’s stand up for hard-working Iowans

     The Iowa Public Employment Relations Act (often called “Chapter 20” or Iowa’s collective bargaining law) was approved with bipartisan support by a Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law by Republican Governor Bob Ray in 1974. The law lays out the rules by which public workers and public employers—schools, cities, counties, the state—discuss issues, solve problems and reach mutually agreeable decisions in the workplace.

     Former Republican State Rep. Jeff Kauffman, who now chairs the Republican Party of Iowa, said this in 2008, “The original collective bargaining law was a work of bipartisanship. Our collective bargaining laws always have been a balance between employer and employee; management and labor. When legislation happens without any input from the minority political party or the affected citizens, bad things are bound to happen.”

     Now nine years later, we are faced with a VERY BAD PIECE OF LEGISLATION. We have a Republican-controlled Senate, a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a Republican Governor’s office. They have decided they don’t want the input of hard-working Iowans; they don’t want input from the minority party; and they are rushing this bill through the process at an alarming rate.

     This bill will completely GUT collective bargaining. SF 213 is expected to be debated early next week, and if passed, it will be signed into law by the end of the week. The measures in the bill will be effective immediately.

     Some of the worst provisions of the bill are:

     • No due process

     • No negotiations outside of base wage

     • Different rules for different classes of public employees

     • Does not require employers to give a reason for firing employees