DES MOINES – Today, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan released the following statement regarding House Republicans’ passage of their version of the Standing Appropriations Bill, which included an attack on collective bargaining rights:
“The legislation passed by House Republicans today is a blatant attack on the collective bargaining rights of Iowa workers. The appropriate way to set these health insurance benefits is through Iowa’s collective bargaining process. It is not appropriate to try to circumvent collective bargaining through legislation. The state contract is a contract between the Executive Branch and the Union. It is not appropriate for the Legislature to interfere in it.”
Someone has to try and do the right thing. If you were to wait for ASFCME to help pay their own way, hell would freeze over first. The union sure doesn’t want to pay MORE for ANYTHING. Why should they, they have just the way they want it now. What other choices do we (the State) have….let it go to mediation, then what??? Most all of the people I have dealt with who are Federal Mediators have came from some type of “union” background. So, who’s side of this so-called “collective bargaining process” do you think will get the favorable outcome?
I applaud the House Republicans for having the guts to stand up and do the right thing. At least they are trying to watch out for the taxpayers dollar. Let the union fund their own insurance if they don’t like it.
AFSCME & other public unions get two bites at the apple in that they support those they want in office and then negotiate the contracts under rules put in place by their elected choices which are typically Democrats.
The legislation they are objecting obviously is upsetting this tidy little deal they’ve had in place. About time.
Waa, Waa, Waa-Bull crap-It is our tax money and that makes it our business and they are OUR representatives. This will keep Damorats like Culver from giving the unions everything they ask for.