Iowa to take up labor bill but Wisconsin-like protests unlikely

The confrontation between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and state workers is being closely watched in statehouses across the country.

In Iowa, Republican officials and a top labor leader said last week they don't expect those kind of fireworks here. House Republicans said, however, they will begin work Tuesday on a measure to make significant changes to the state's collective bargaining law.

The same day, union members say they plan to rally at the state Capitol to show solidarity with Wisconsin state workers.

An Iowa House subcommittee is scheduled to take up a study bill that would enact a series of changes to Chapter 20 of Iowa's code, including removing health and other types of insurance as items subject to collective bargaining.

The measure would change what arbitrators can consider when unions and management are at an impasse. And it would make arbitration rulings subject to the state Legislature.

Rep. Lance Horbach, R-Tama, chairman of the House Labor Committee, said he expects much of the measure to be approved by his committee by the end of the week.

Eventually, he expects some form to pass the full House.

The prospects for the legislation in the Senate are not clear, however. Democrats control that chamber, and their leadership has shown no interest in changing Chapter 20 this session.

Republicans have long complained about state employee wages and benefits.

Gov. Terry Branstad has been especially critical of former Gov. Chet Culver for agreeing last November to union contract offers after he had been defeated at the polls, including a contract with the state's largest employee union, the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Council 61.

The offers were the unions' first proposals.

A couple of weeks ago in Durant, Branstad complained about what he called lucrative worker benefits and noted the state of Indiana doesn't have collective bargaining rights for state employees.

“So what the governor's done is he's put together a plan to offer voluntary health savings accounts, and 70 percent of the employees are now doing health savings accounts,” Branstad said. “I think that's the direction to go in the future, but we're going to have to get some changes in Chapter 20 to give us the authority to do that.”

Tim Albrecht, a spokesman for Branstad, said Friday the governor supports the new House study bill.

“It's not too much to ask state workers to pay a small percentage of their health insurance bills,” Albrecht said. “We need to inject more common-sense ideas into the bargaining process.”

Most state workers do not pay premiums for their health insurance.

Danny Homan, the president of AFSCME, Council 61, said that deal was agreed to years ago and that the state gets a financial benefit, too.

Labor and Democrats also say union workers have done their part to help the state's financial situation by agreeing to pay and benefit cuts during the recession.

“If this passes, we now get two hands tied behind our back,” Homan said of the study bill.

Labor and Republican officials both downplayed the idea that their disagreements could lead to a Wisconsin-like confrontation, where thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in Madison, the fifth day of demonstrations.

Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers fled the state last week rather than vote on a proposal to cut back union workers' collective bargaining rights and raise workers' contributions for their health insurance.

Public employees also flooded the capital last week, including teachers who called in sick in such large numbers that it led to school closings.

Homan said he doesn't think what's happening in Wisconsin will have an effect here. He said the Iowa study bill doesn't go as far as Wisconsin's proposal, although he added, “It puts a pretty big dent into things employees have the ability to bargain over.”

Albrecht, meanwhile, said he thinks a deal can be worked out.

“We think we can find workable solutions to benefit all parties,” he said.

Horbach, meanwhile, said he sees room for negotiation with Senate Democrats, who have objected to spending cuts enacted thus far by the House.

“We want policy,” he said. “They want taxpayer money.”

Still, on Tuesday, the day the House panel is to take up the collective bargaining bill, there will be a labor rally at the state Capitol.

Horbach noted it will take place the same day, and just shortly before, the panel meets.

The rally is being organized by the Iowa Federation of Labor, and it's aimed at public and private unions across the country showing solidarity with state workers in Wisconsin, said Charlie Wishman, a spokesman for AFSCME, Council 61.

He said the rally was organized before the Labor subcommittee meeting was scheduled.

- By Ed Tibbetts, Quad-City Times