Despite impassioned objections raised by unions representing public employees, a three-member subcommittee of the Iowa Senate Committee on Workforce on Wednesday advanced to the full committee a proposed bill that would add a new hurdle to the recertification requirements for collective bargaining units.
Several representatives of public employee unions voiced opposition to the proposal, saying it would penalize employees for the actions ― or lack thereof ― of their employers.
The bill, Senate Study Bill 3158, would amend legislation passed in 2017 that requires collective bargaining units to hold recertification votes about 10 months before the expiration of their existing contracts ― typically, every two or three years. In the balloting, workers are asked to say whether they want to retain their current union representation.
Unions fought the original bill, saying it added an unnecessary barrier to the contract process. The new bill would add an additional wrinkle, requiring the employer to provide a list of employees in the bargaining unit within 10 days of receiving notice from the Public Employee Relations Board of a recertification election.