Prichard, Democrats organize Saturday rally in Mason City

Staff Report

DES MOINES — A bill that would make big changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law for public employees is expected to be debated on the Senate and House floors next week.

The Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee approved the bill Thursday after hearing strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers, all of whom voted against the measure.

In response to the bill, three north Iowa Democratic legislators — Reps. Todd Prichard, Sharon Steckman and Sen. Amanda Ragan are organizing a rally for this weekend to oppose the Republican bill that “strips away the rights of workers,” a news release said.

The Rally for Iowa Working Families will begin at noon, Saturday, Feb. 11, in Central Park, Mason City.

The lawmakers are holding the rally to give citizens in north central Iowa an opportunity to stand up for the teachers, firefighters, police officers, state, county and city workers, and other public servants in our community, the release said.

Prichard will also hold a press conference prior to the rally. It begins at 9 a.m. with local teachers, school board members and public employees about the impact of the recent bills to come before the Iowa House, including the “inadequately low education funding bill and a measure to strip away worker’s rights in Iowa,” a news release stated.

Iowa’s current collective bargaining law allows public sector employees like teachers, nurses and correctional officers to negotiate job benefits, including health insurance, extra pay and seniority. The proposed legislation would specifically prohibit those discussions.
Republicans say the bill, which includes exemptions for some public safety workers, will give employers greater flexibility to reward top employees. Unions argue it will hurt Iowa’s workforce and is meant to weaken unions.

The Iowa House Republican newsletter issued Feb. 9 defends the GOP’s collective bargaining bill and the recently approved school funding level. The page 1 feature called “House Republican Talking Points” says the collective bargaining bill doesn’t affect private sector workers, take away or modify Iowa’s public pensions, or take away health insurance.

“The changes in the bill have no effect on an individual employee’s rights to discuss or negotiate on their own accord with their employer about any topics they feel are imperative to their employment,” it says.

Public safety employees are exempt from the changes, it says.

“A pragmatic long-term change reflecting today’s economic realities is needed regarding Iowa’s collective bargaining law,” the newsletter says. “Constructive cooperation, not obstruction and fear-mongering, is needed regarding collective bargaining.

“Collective bargaining advocates are arguing the law has worked well for 40 years and changes are not necessary. Yet that did not stop those same advocates from serious attempts to significantly expand collective bargaining in 2007 and 2008.

“The bottom line is that school boards, mayors, city councilors, county supervisors along with state government leaders will have more flexibility to do the jobs taxpayers elected them to do which is to manage state resources and quickly and effectively respond to their concerns.”

The article does not say who wrote it.

The newsletter also defended the approved school aid funding by noting K-12 education has increased by 30 percent from $2.446 billion in fiscal year 2011 to $3.183 billion for fiscal year 2018.

“Combining this new funding increase for school districts, the state has now increased school funding by over $730 million over the past 7 years – not including the Teacher Leadership funding,” the newsletter says. “Iowa’s national teacher pay ranking is 23rd. Over the last five years, Iowa’s national ranking for Iowa per-pupil spending has improved from 35th to 27th. Iowa spends about $10,622 per student.”

According to a report issued in 2016 by the U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa on average spent $341 less per pupil than the national average in the fiscal year 2014, the latest data available. Nationally, the average was $11,009, and Iowa spent 10,668.

The certified enrollment in Iowa’s public schools has grown by 6,226 students since fiscal 2014. That year the certified enrollment was 478,921, according to data from the Iowa Department of Education. In fiscal 2017, enrollment was 485,147.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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