BEA Line February EXTRA

February 2017 Issue Extra

REPUBLICANS DESTROY UNIONS

CONTACT YOUR

Below are excerpts from an email sent for Andy Isaacson, Uniserve Director.

Good Evening Geode Leaders,

Political Message: Do Not Share on School Servers or Email Addresses

As you are probably aware, House and Senate Republican leadership released their proposal to make changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining laws today by introducing HSB 84 and SF 213.  These bills can be viewed by going to https://www.legis.iowa.gov/ and typing them in the Bills search box in the upper left corner.

Right now, I can assure you that ISEA is analyzing these bills and there will be much more information that will be coming out from me and from our ISEA leaders and lobbyists.  HSB 84 and SF 213 are identical bills that demolish collective bargaining as it currently exists - they are eliminating many of the pieces of Chapter 20 that protect our collective bargaining rights and allow us to bargain our contracts.  Under the proposed bills, only base wages would remain as a mandatory topic of bargaining. Many topics previously listed as mandatory topics and other additional topics would now be excluded from bargaining—including insurance, supplemental pay, transfer procedures, evaluation procedures, grievance procedures, and employee advantage based on seniority.

These topics could still be collaboratively addressed between management and employees outside the scope of bargaining. While insurance would be excluded from bargaining, the bills do require that all public employers offer their employees’ health insurance.  ISEA is currently attempting to obtain clarification on the bill’s impact on salary schedules.

In addition to changes in Chapter 20, the bills also provide a number of changes related to education employees, including changed procedures and greater authority to boards regarding termination of teacher employment in very limited circumstances, termination of extracurricular contracts, extensions to the probationary periods for teachers and administrators, and changes to records deemed as confidential personnel records.

Public hearings on the bill will be requested.  ISEA anticipates those hearings to be scheduled for next Monday, February 13—likely during the work day when public employees are not available to attend.  We anticipate that the bill will be voted on Monday evening and that the Governor will sign the bill next Tuesday, February 14.

BEA MEMBERS:  Call Senators and Representatives.  Get your friends to call Senators and Representatives.  Speak about the concerns to our superintendent.

Legislature emails

Political Forum Near the Geode Area this weekend

8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Oskaloosa

Eggs and Issues

Smokey Row

109 S Market Street

Iowa State Education Association

Office: 1-800-378-9817

Cell: 641-777-9311