State, law officers reach labor accord

DES MOINES - Negotiators for the state and a union representing public safety employees have reached agreement on a new collective bargaining contract that provides a 2 percent across-the-board wage increases for each of the next two fiscal years.

According to a document posted on the state Department of Administrative Services website, the state finalized a contract to begin July 1 and run through June 30, 2019, with the State Police Officers Council. The union represents about 600 Iowa State troopers, special agents with the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, state fire inspectors and agents, Iowa conservation officers and Iowa park rangers.

The pay increases are to take effect July 1 this year and in 2018, according to the Legislative Services Agency. The labor pact also provides 'step” increases of 3.5 percent for union members with satisfactory performances and another 1 percent for employees who 'meet expectations” for the two-year cycle. Another provision increases the clothing allowances for union members.

No changes were made from the current contract in areas of health and dental benefits, grievance or layoff procedures, seniority, transfers, overtime, holidays, vacation, leave, hours of work or management rights, according to the contract summary.

"As always, we appreciate the opportunity to sit down and discuss the issues,” Department of Administrative Services Director Janet Phipps said in a statement.

Negotiations began in November but the two sides were forced to restart the talks in February after the Republican-run Legislature voted to scrap Iowa's 1974 collective bargaining law and replace it with a sweeping overhaul that took effect immediately upon Gov. Terry Branstad's signature.

The state's unionized law enforcement employees entered the contract talks requesting 3 percent across-the-board pay increases for each of the next two fiscal years beginning on July 1. The union's proposal also called for maintaining a health plan where the state pays 80 percent of insurance premiums while seeking changes in areas of overtime policy, transfers and callback time, clothing allowances and other workplace issues.

State negotiators initially offered unionized law officers a 1 percent annual across-the-board pay raise for the next two fiscal years but made no insurance proposal.

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