Public workers rally planned at Cedar Rapids City Hall today

CEDAR RAPIDS - A rally is being planned outside Cedar Rapids City Hall at 4:30 p.m. today to support state union workers facing threats to their collective bargaining rights, organizers said.

A group called Indivisible Cedar Rapids, a grass roots group in the vein of the Tea Party movement, organized the rally after Republican lawmakers introduced a bill on Tuesday proposing sweeping changes to the 43-year-old collective bargaining law, which governs negotiations for pay and benefits.

'It's truly a slap in the face to people who work hard and spend their own money to educate our children,” said Kris Cameron, one of the organizers.

The bill, HSB 84, affects teachers, correctional officers, firefighters, snow plow drivers and other public sector employee represented by a union, she said.

Cameron said a small group plans to gather outside City Hall to show their support for the workers and concerns about the proposal.

'We will stand there with signs let people have a voice and say how this bill is going to affect them,” she said. 'It happened so quickly, this caught us all by surprise. We want people to have a voice and let Republicans know how this is affecting employees that take care of them.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com