„While bar designs can never be clean and can represent a large number of obstacles, this case is not even a fair delineation,“ Cady wrote. He pointed out that Wisconsin`s law, which limits collective bargaining for public employees, offers a better-founded distinction: a group of public safety employees, a group of other public employees. However, the applicants did not provide any evidence that it was irrational for the law to grant extensive bargaining rights to trade unions reaching the threshold of 30% of public security, or that the measure was unlawfully motivated by the desire to sanction the AFSCME, the court ruled. In separate actions filed by AFSCME Iowa Council 61 and the Iowa State Education Association, the court ruled Friday by 4-3 in favor of the state. The unions represent tens of thousands of Iowa teachers and other city, district, state and school workers. Under the law and now this ruling, only unions that employ at least 30% of their members in public safety can negotiate benefits such as health insurance, leave, overtime or other work-related matters. AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said in a statement that his organization would not be discouraged by the court`s decision and would make further efforts in the coming months to mobilize public workers „in a way that the state of Iowa has never seen before.“ Terry Branstad, governor in 2017, said Iowa`s collective bargaining law was too union-friendly and that he agreed to limit contract negotiations to a discussion of base wages and those annual recertification votes. „I think it`s a reasonable increase based on everything public servants have done during this pandemic,“ said Danny Homan, president of the U.S. State Federation, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, after asking for a 3 percent flat-rate salary increase for its state employees in each of the next two fiscal years. In one of them, they unanimously confirmed the prohibition of the new law on wage deductions for union dues; Two others examined the validity of contractual agreements reached at the time of the adoption of the law in 2017; The latter confirmed the interpretation of parts of the new law by the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board.
„Today`s ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court was a disappointing setback on the long road to justice for public service employees,“ he said in a statement. „But those who keep our communities safe, healthy and strong are not being deterred by this attack.“ Earlier this month, negotiators from the State Police Officers Council, which has about 600 members, demanded a flat-rate salary increase of 3 percent for the next fiscal year and 3.5 percent for fiscal year 2023. State negotiators are expected to make an initial contract offer Tuesday to union representatives. AFSCME represents 40,000 public employees in Iowa and ISEA is the largest teachers` union in the state. The AFSCME leader presented a contract proposal that he said was based on a 2015-17 contract, which existed before the Iowa legislature significantly revised the state`s collective bargaining law. Many aspects of Merit`s staff employment remain unchanged after the revision of Iowa`s Collective Bargaining Act. Some practices change with effect from July 1, 2017, while others may evolve based on operational needs and best practices: a very divided Iowa Supreme Court on Friday upheld a 2017 law that deprives most public sector unions of the right to collective bargaining, a move that has sparked widespread protests. But supporters said there was a need to help local governments and control costs. Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Council 61, called the rulings in a written statement „a disappointing regression on the long road to justice for public servants.“ „By depriving teachers, firefighters, nurses, prison officers and other officials, Republican politicians have harmed all Iowa workers,“ Senatorial Minority Leader Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, said in a statement. . .
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