Union leaders call for restoring bargaining rights for Iowa public workers

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Local union members and labor leaders called Monday on Iowa lawmakers to restore collective bargaining rights for public workers.

Members of Iowa Teamsters Local 238 and Cedar Rapids-area Democratic lawmakers decried what they say has been a deterioration of standards for public employees across the state. They say changes made to Iowa law in 2017 have undermined their collective bargaining rights and protections, making it more difficult for them to advocate for fair working conditions.

In 2017, Republican lawmakers dramatically altered the state’s collective bargaining laws, restricting the ability of public-sector unions to negotiate over key issues such as health insurance, evaluation procedures, overtime pay and layoffs. The law limited contract negotiations for non-public safety government employees to base wages and required unions be recertified roughly 10 months before each negotiation period — typically once every two to three years.

Republican lawmakers at the time said removing mandatory bargaining items would give local governments and school districts more flexibility, allowing them to reduce costs or find more innovative ways to deliver services, better manage and ensure better performance from employees.

Earlier this year, members of the largest public employees union in Iowa rallied at the Iowa Capitol against a legislative proposal that would decertify a public worker collective bargaining unit if the public employer fails to submit to the state a list of union-eligible workers. The bill, Senate File 2374, failed to advance during the session.

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Iowa Senate Republicans who introduced the legislation said it was needed to close a loophole in the 2017 collective bargaining law. Since then, many public bargaining units have not submitted lists of union-eligible workers and thus not held annual recertification elections, both of which are required by the 2017 law.

Labor advocates have called it a “union-busting” bill because it places bargaining units’ fate in the hands of the employer.

On Monday, speakers in Cedar Rapids emphasized the need to “restore dignity” and rights for public employees in Iowa, citing issues such as increased turnover rates, lower recruitment and retention levels and a broken system that has stagnated wages.

“It was nothing more than an attempt by an anti-worker administration to bankrupt public sector unions and eliminate the voice and rights of thousands of public sector workers in the state of Iowa,” Rick Moyle, executive director of Hawkeye Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, said of the 2017 law. “ … The governor and the Republicans in control have the ability to change this. We ask that Gov. (Kim) Reynolds do that right thing and give working families in Iowa our dignity back.”

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Reynolds’ office and spokespeople for Iowa House and Senate Republicans did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Monday afternoon.

Rick Melton and Monica Frank are bus drivers for the Cedar Rapids Community School District and members of Iowa Teamsters Local 238. The pair said they face challenges due to Iowa's weakened collective bargaining laws, which impact their ability to negotiate for better working conditions and better benefits.

“Every day I have the privilege of ensuring that our students get to and from school safely. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously, because I know the impact it has on our children and our community,” Melton said. “However, like many of my fellow public sector workers, I have faced significant challenges due to the actions of our state Legislature.”

He said ability to negotiate over these critical issues is fundamental to ensuring he and other public employees can perform their jobs effectively and safely.

“Despite the importance of our work, we are ultimately met with disregard from our state officials instead of recognizing the value we bring to our communities,” Melton said. “They continue to push for legislation that undermines our rights and our ability to advocate for ourselves. This lack of respect is felt deeply by all of us who are dedicated to public service.

“As a school bus driver, my job goes beyond just driving a bus. It's about ensuring the safety and well-being of the students in my care. We are public servants who are literally caring for us and deserve the respect that comes with this responsibility.”

Frank said the district has witnessed a high turnover rate for bus drivers, which she said is largely due to the lack of pay during the summer months.

“We need some form of unemployment benefits to supplement our income during these times,” she said. “Additionally, during the school year, there are several days when school is not in session, and we do not get paid. Providing a couple of more paid days for these times would greatly benefit us and help stabilize our income.”

Jesse Case, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 238 in Iowa, said public workers in the state face indignity despite responding to crises with little recognition.

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“During times of crisis, we expect our public servants to ride in like superheroes to protect us and restore normalcy during blizzards, tornadoes, derechos and floods,” Case said. “And they do time and time again. But where's their normalcy? Where's their respect? And when they return home after a long day of flood mitigation, or transporting our kids, of maintaining the streets that we drove on to get here today, what expectations do they have?

“What expectations do they have when wage disparity between public sector and private sector workers continues to grow? … What expectations do they have when the right to seniority and the right to bid on their own jobs has been stolen under a broken system?”

Case added: “It's time to close the wound and restore the dignity.”

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