The speaker of the Iowa House says the changes she and her fellow Republicans will propose in Iowa’s collective bargaining law will likely mirror legislation that cleared the House in 2011. THAT bill would have eliminated layoff procedures from being part of union contracts, giving managers the authority to fire any worker, regardless of seniority. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer says it’s been 40 years since Iowa lawmakers have taken a “thoughtful look” at collective bargaining rights in Iowa.
The 2011 bill also would have required state workers to pay more for the cost of their health care. THIS year, Governor Terry Branstad has suggested a statewide health care pool for all union contracts, including contracts for local police and teachers. Upmeyer says Branstad “raised a good point” and that’s an “option” being discussed, but Upmeyer is indicating Republican legislators do NOT intend to make that move MANDATORY.
Unions protested the collective bargaining changes Upmeyer and other Republicans sought in 2011 and the bill was blocked by Democrats in the Iowa Senate. This year, though, Republicans are in total control of the legislative branch and the state’s Republican governor is receptive to these proposals.
