Week 5 here at the Iowa capitol has by far been the most controversial. Iowa lawmakers voted Thursday to eliminate collective bargaining rights from public employees, reshaping Chapter 20. The debate was heated and emotions flew high.

Collective Bargaining bill:

Collective bargaining is a negotiation between employees and employers led by a union. When you hear about collective bargaining you most likely hear about how it affects education, but really it covers all public employees. On Thursday, the Iowa legislature voted on the chapter 20 bill to try to boost productivity and create an environment formed more like the private sector. The goal is to allow managers the power to change failing environments for public workers, including schools.

Healthcare:

Health insurance was removed as a mandatory issue of bargaining; however, a part of this bill requires that all public employers provide health insurance to their full-time employees. 

Retirement:

IPERS has never been a bargaining issue and nothing is changing to the program.

Who?

Under this code, collective bargaining covers the following jobs-teachers, school employees, highway workers, nurses, corrections officers, professors, graduate students, state agency workers and many others. Public safety personnel were excluded from these changes (unless those public safety employees work for a school, like university police).

After multiple days of debate in the House and 30+ hours of straight debate in the Senate, both voted on the new law. It passed the House 53-47 and the Senate 29-21. It was signed by the Governor the next day into law.