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Meetings set to explain public union recertification
by Bob Dvorsky, State Senator · Op-Ed · September 07, 2017
Iowa had a bipartisan collective bargaining law that worked well for more than 40 years. Originally passed to stop strikes, it ensured Iowans, employees and public employers collaborated on mutually agreeable solutions in the workplace.
This year, however, Iowa’s Republican-controlled state government took away public employee rights with the passage of HF 291. The new law makes major changes to what may be negotiated and how public unions are certified and decertified. It also added a new requirement that public unions “recertify” every few years.
Union recertification is a vote to determine if employees want to continue to be represented by their current union. To help everyone understand how the new law works in time for this fall’s recertification elections, Iowa’s Public Employment Relations Board is holding information meetings throughout Iowa. (The next one near West Branch is 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4. at Grant Wood AEA, 1120 33rd Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids.)
Iowa’s public-sector unions now have to win support from a majority of employees in a bargaining unit, not just a majority of those voting in the certification election. Previously, the vote was decided by bargaining unit employees that showed up for the election. Now, workers who don’t vote are counted as a “no.” All employees in a bargaining unit are considered voters, even if they aren’t dues-paying members of the union.
A bargaining unit must recertify prior to the expiration of their contract, or it becomes defunct. In addition, all election costs for recertification must be paid in full by the public employee organization before the election takes place or certification is revoked.
To contact Senator Dvorsky during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at home at 319-351-0988. E-mail him at bob.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov.
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