County, city public unions vote yes in recertification counts

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

Six Charles City public unions and two Floyd County unions have overwhelmingly voted to recertify, according to initial unofficial results released by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).

Charles City municipal unions that reached majority votes to recertify are the Charles City Teamsters No. 238 (fire, two yes votes); Teamsters No. 238 (mixed, 14 yes votes); and Teamsters No. 238 (police, 12 yes votes).

Floyd County unions that reached majority votes are the Teamsters No. 238 (roads, 18 yes votes) and the Floyd County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (10 yes votes).

Education associations to recertify include the Charles City Educators Association (114 yes votes); and the two chapters of the Charles City Educational Services Association (combined 100 yes votes).

More periodic recertification elections were required under a law approved this year by the Republican-majority Legislature and signed by Gov. Terry Branstad that eliminated many collective bargaining rights for public workers.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, results for the Nashua-Plainfield Education Support Professionals, the New Hampton Educational Association and the New Hampton Education Association Support Group were unannounced. There were no associations listed aligned with the Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Community School District in the PERB file.

To recertify, associations are required to receive at least 51 percent yes votes from all union-eligible employees. Those who don’t vote are counted as no votes.

For unions that did not receive enough votes, staff contracts are voided beginning Oct. 24.

Union members had a 14-day voting period beginning on Oct. 10 in which to decide whether to recertify their unions.

Mike Cormack, chairman of PERB, said nearly 430 union units secured enough votes to continue, while 31 units did not. Almost 40 units remain to be counted.

Cormack says more than 28,400 employees voted, with more than 23,000 supporting retaining their unions and a little more than 530 supporting decertification.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.