In a classic bait and switch this legislature passed an agenda never campaigned on. They wiped out minimum wage increases and strangled public employee and teacher negotiating power. In addition, let’s look at a few less noticed but important actions that also hurt Iowa’s working citizens.
Two years ago an increased gas tax made real the promise of much needed bridge and road repair. This year in what was called the “Road Fund Swap” a federal Buy-American provision and other quality protections were stripped from your city and county allocation of road money allowing for foreign made construction materials. Further, under the guise of reducing red-tape and stretching dollars, local construction wage rates protected by federal law were eliminated opening the door to lower wages in rural areas and out-of-state contractors undercutting local jobs.
An example would be where a county farm to market bridge was being rebuilt and an out-of-state contractor utilizing a cheap workforce from a southern-tier state is able to underbid local contractors and is awarded the job. Iowans lose. If cheap Chinese steel is used America loses. Republicans passed the “Swap” on party lines and our soon to be Ambassador to China signed it opening a market for Chinese steel as a gift from Iowa taxpayers. While President Trump promises “American Steel”, our state GOP does the opposite.
The long-standing bargain struck between business and injured employees in Iowa’s worker compensation law was ravaged rather than reformed this year. Changes to retaliatory discharge after an injured employee is wrongfully terminated, when an injury is first reported, penalties for late compensation payments and how pre-existing injuries are treated detrimentally impact Iowa employees in all workplaces. For employees suffering a shoulder injury the new law drastically reduces benefits without compensating for an injured worker’s lack of employability.
Take for instance the situation of a long term employee who suffers a catastrophic shoulder injury in a workplace accident. As someone who requires shoulder strength for his livelihood his lifetime earning power is greatly diminished by the workplace injury. The new law shortened the period for benefits. While the new law does provide for re-training at a local community college, a one size fits all solution while severely limiting compensation may not be the answer for some injured workers. The new law is predicted to increased litigation while Iowa’s injured workers are projected to suffer an 80 percent reduction in benefits for shoulder injuries and reduced permanent partial disability payments.
These changes shift the responsibility for injured employees from the employer funded workers compensation program to taxpayer funded disability services while lowering the quality of life for injured employees and their families. These changes were also enacted by republicans on party line votes without justification that Iowa’s workers’ compensation policy was out of whack. Big business wins and working Iowans lose.
In a reversal to conservative local control philosophy, the republican controlled state legislature and governor adopted a prohibition on Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Des Moines, Polk and Linn county ordinances to protect taxpayers on public construction projects.
Local Taxpayer Quality Assurance policies aid local governments in selecting capable and qualified contractors. Determination of bidders’ track records when awarding public contracts are essential to give taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck.
The prohibition takes from local officials a valuable tool widely used in the private sector and is at odds with Iowa’s constitutional tradition of Home Rule. The change is akin to prohibiting a homeowner from checking Angie’s list or the Better Business Bureau before hiring a contractor to do an improvement and would force the homeowner to take the low bid of the traveler passing through town.
The healthy future of Iowa requires economic growth in our towns and cities. It needs a skilled workforce, opportunities for training and a promise of good jobs for our young people. This past legislative session was full of partisan votes without compromise. It was divisive and pitted Iowan against Iowan. Rather than push for jobs with security and benefits envy and jealousy won the day. Rather than working toward a livable wage for all Iowans, republicans stripped from your communities the ability to enact minimum wage increases, gutted employee bargaining power, undercut local construction wages, eliminated disability protections for hurt workers, and opened a market to cheap Chinese steel. These new law changes inject uncertainty, dissatisfaction, and a flight mentality in our youth looking for local opportunity to make a life in Iowa.
Now is the time to have a reasoned discussion with your legislators about these issues and your concerns because this legislature has gone in the wrong direction for Iowa.
William Gerhard, President, Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council
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It will be a domino effect, public unions are just the start of getting rid of all unions. In the latest attempt, Wisconsin governor walker started it all with help from the Koch brothers, two of the richest people in the country. Check out, Scott Walker and the Fate of the Union – The New York Times. I agree with anonymous may 9, 640 pm.
We are not speaking of private sector unions just the cushy public sector unions that have made life great for the public sector -you know the sector that feeds off the back of the everyday hard working joe. Where do you public servants think this money comes from – hell most of us cannot afford health insurance or vacations – quit yelling wolf because thats old news and BS.
When the unions lose, eventually, all workers will lose. But, big business will gain.
Boooo Hooooo – you public servants have been raping the private sector working class for 20 years – snowflakes and usually under qualified for the wages you are paid – notice I did nor say earned. Your pension plan (golden parachute in Iowa is 5 BILLION dollars under funded – who is going to bail you liberals out ? – go on strike – protest – who gives a chit . You have it made and you know it and its about time we realize it. Maybe the subsidized (5 billion dollars) farmers will kick in some money – no I don’t think so – they are to busy crying about the price of corn which means nothing because the fed makes up the difference to the 3.38 per bushel that their guaranteed and also farmers property taxes are regulated by their income each year – they have a bad year (yea right) and they pay lower property taxes thanks to a lot of farmers in Iowa government.
Once the unions are gone the right wing establishment will start focusing on people like you. They will eventually take away your wage, your benefits and your pension and there will be no one left to fight for you because you chased them all away. Big business will win and you will be right where they want us all… At the bottom of the food chain.
They should dis-band the public unions. They have gotten out of control.
Power to the taxpayer! You union big-wigs don’t know what to do when you don’t have liberal democrats like steckman lining your pockets with the people’s money. LOL