March 21, 2007

Iowa  House Delays Vote on
Public Sector Fair Share

Due to unexpected absences in the Statehouse last week, the House did not debate SF 413, the public sector fair share bill on Thursday, March 15, as previously planned.  After a Democratic caucus that lasted almost all Thursday afternoon, the House adjourned without bringing fair share to a vote.

The bill is now likely to be brought up the week of March 26, so it is important to continue to contact your representative (even if you have done it before) and explain to them why we need fair share.

Fair Share—What It Is

· It is needed.  By law, unions must pay for bargaining and arbitration services for everyone in their bargaining units, dues-payer or not!

· It is common.  Fair share-type clauses may be found in contracts in 28 other states.

· It benefits everyone.  Unions will be able to provide even better services and contracts to all workers in their bargaining units.

· It allows the freedom to negotiate.  Fair share could be negotiated, just like wages, benefits and working conditions.

· And it’s only fair!  Everyone paying their share is a fundamental Iowa value.

Fair Share—What It Is Not

· Repeal of the Right to Work Law.  SF 413 does not reference or pertain to Chapter 731, which is the Iowa law that is considered “Right to Work.”

· Forced unionism.  No worker will be forced to become a union member to get or keep a job.

· A damper on economic development.  Neighboring states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri that allow negotiation over fair share clauses actually seem to be doing better than Iowa.

Have you?  Thousands of union members have contacted their state representatives with postcards, phone calls, e-mails.  Here’s how:

By email:    firstname.lastname@legis.state.ia.us.

By phone:   Representatives: 515-281-3221; 

By USPS:  

The Honorable (insert name)

State Representative

Statehouse, Des Moines, IA 50309

You can identify your legislators (and send them an e-mail with a click) by going to:

http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/Default.aspx

Tell them:  “Vote Yes on SF 413”

Annual NALC Food Drive: 

The Bush Administration may be heartless, but union members aren’t!

Mark your calendars!  On the second Saturday in May, May 12th, our 300,000 brothers and sisters in the National Association of Letter Carriers will collect more than mail.  They will also collect food from generous Americans in the largest food drive in the country.

Last year, 70.5 million pounds of food was collected—much of it from good-hearted trade unionists.

What happens to the food?  It is delivered to local food pantries, homeless shelters and crisis centers across the nation.

With over 30 million Americans experiencing what the Bush Administration calls “food insecurity,”  (translation: their kids often go to bed hungry), we need to collect even more than we did last year. 

So, on Saturday, May 12th, place a box of non-perishable food items next to your mailbox before the mail arrives. 

And spread the word at your workplaces, churches and neighborhoods.

Saturday, May 12th

Bills

to

Watch

HF 766 Energy Efficient Appliance Grants.  Creates a grant program in the Division of Community Action Agencies to assist individuals or families at 100% of the federal poverty level with the purchase of energy-efficiency appliances.  IFL supports.

HF 771  Financial Advisors Exemption.  Exempts financial advisory services provided by insurance companies from sales tax.  IFL opposes.

HF 790  Group Health Care Plans.  Requires the Insurance Commissioner to administer a 5-year pilot project to allow 3 to 5 associations to offer group health care plans to employees of members.  IFL opposes.

HF 795  Electrician licensing.  Establishes a statewide system of licensing for electricians and life safety installers.  IFL supports.

HF 797  Successor Employers.  Considers a successor employer as the same employer if an employee becomes part of the successor employer’s workforce through a merger, purchase, or other transaction without a substantial change in the nature of the employee’s employment.  IFL supports.

HF 805  Clean Elections.  Creates the Clean Money Election Fund; limits private funding.  IFL supports.

HF 810  Prevailing Wages.  Requires the payment of prevailing wages on public improvement projects worth more than $25,000.  IFL supports.

HF 812  Tax Deduction for Art Donations.  Allows an income tax deduction for the sale or charitable contribution of art.  IFL opposes.

SF 472  Close Clearance Warning Devices.  Requires railroads to place warning devices anywhere there is close clearance that would affect a person riding on the side of the train in performance of the person’s duties.  IFL supports.

SF 528  Private prison ban.  Prohibits the DOC from entering into an agreement with a private for-profit corporation in order to house inmates committed to the custody of the DOC.  IFL supports.

SF 553  Clean Elections.  Requires electronic filing of certain reports and establishes a voter-owned Iowa Clean Elections Act, provides funding of the Act, including an income tax checkoff, and provides an income tax exemption.  IFL supports.

SF 555  Taxpayer rebate fund.  Establishes a resident taxpayer rebate fund into which money from the economic emergency fund in excess of the limit of the fund and after payment of certain amounts to the Senior Living Trust Fund is deposited.  When the balance in the Fund reaches $50 million, the state will refund the money to the taxpayers at a minimum of $20 per resident taxpayer.  IFL opposes.

=============================================

Live Bills (Except for budget and tax bills, these are bills that have survived the first “funnel,” a deadline set by the legislature in which any bills that have not passed at least one committee are considered dead for the session.)
 

SF 232  Payroll dues deduction.  IFL supports.

SF 265  Asbestos Removal.  IFL supports.

SF 341  Out-of-state workers’ comp.  IFL supports.

SF 352  Election Day Registration.  IFL supports.

SF 369  Voting Machines.  IFL supports.

SF 382  Mental Health Coverage.  IFL supports.

SF 413  Fair Share.  IFL supports.

SF 417  Elevator Licensure.  IFL supports.

SF 420  Comparable Worth.  IFL supports.

SF 421  Workers’ Comp Exclusions and Debt Collection.  IFL supports.

SF 424  Employee Choice of Doctor.  IFL supports.

SF 427  Ban on sexual orientation discrimination.  IFL supports.

SF 449  Hospital Reports.  IFL supports.

SF 457  Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights.  IFL supports.

SF 460  Appeal Process for Medical Providers.  IFL supports.

SF 472  Railroad Safety.  IFL supports.

SF 488  Municipal Utility Retirement Systems.  IFL supports.

SF 519  Energy performance-based contracts.  IFL supports.

SF 528  Ban on private prisons.  IFL supports.

SF 553  Clean Elections.  IFL supports.

HF 367  Direct Deposit Wages.  IFL supports.

HF 368  Boiler Safety.  IFL supports.

HF 492  Ban on Private Prisons.  IFL supports.

HF 653  Election Day Registration.  IFL supports.

HF 675  Living Wage Impact Study.  IFL supports.

HF 676  Workers’ Comp Case Reopening.  IFL supports.

HF 743  Workers’ Comp Earning Capacity. IFL supports.

HF 769 Mental Illness Coverage.  IFL supports.

HF 795  Electrician Licensing.  IFL supports.

HF 797  Workers’ Comp Successor Employers.  IFL supports.

HF 810  Prevailing Wage. IFL supports.

December 9, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

North Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Marvin Gardens

809 Central Avenue Fort Dodge

December 9, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

North Iowa Nine Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Hanford Inn

3041 - 4th St. SW

Mason City

December 13, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Black Hawk Union Council, AFL-CIO

Brown Bottle

209 West 5th

Waterloo

December 15, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Hawkeye Labor Council,

AFL-CIO

Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

RWDSU #110 Hall

526 F Ave. NW

Cedar Rapids

December 16, 2006, 9:00 a.m.

Dubuque Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Labor Temple

1610 Garfield, Dubuque

December 16, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Clinton Labor Congress,

AFL-CIO

Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Rusty Nail

2606 W. Locust

Davenport

December 16, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Southwest Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Tish’s

1115 S. 35th St. Council Bluffs

December 16, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

Des Moines - Henry County Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Lee County Labor Council,

AFL-CIO

Parthenon Steakhouse

715 - 8th St.

Ft. Madison

December 16, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

Northwest Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

UFCW #222

3038 S. Lakeport,

Sioux City

December 17, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Southern Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

UFCW #230 Hall

1305 E. Mary Ottumwa

December 18, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Iowa Federation of Labor,

AFL-CIO

Machinists Hall

2000 Walker St.

Des Moines

in cooperation with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO presents:

Health Insurance and Pensions

• What’s wrong with the American health care system and how can we reform it?

• Understanding health insurance and analyzing health insurance data.

• Health Savings Accounts – what they mean for union workers.

• Bargaining health insurance.

• How serious is the pension funding “crisis” and what does this mean for union workers?

• When companies go bankrupt: what it means for union pensions (defined benefit pension plans).

• Union strategies to protect negotiated pensions.

WHEN:	Thursday and Friday, April 19-20, 2007
WHERE:	Iowa Memorial Union -  Iowa City
COST:	Early registration $150 per person; late registration $175 - includes materials and instruction, no meals
TIME:	Registration from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  Program ends at 4:00 p.m. Friday.
DEADLINE:	Register by March 19, 2007, to get the $150 per person fee.

  For more information, or to register, contact the Labor Center:

• by phone (319) 335-4146,

• by FAX (319) 335-4464

• by e-mail at  labor-center@uiowa.edu

• or visit www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/

Will Iowans get Health Care Reform this Session?

Factors in the discussion:

· Health care costs are increasing faster than the cost of living.

· Health care coverage throughout the country is declining annually.  Employers are shifting costs to employees or eliminating coverage altogether.

· 20 states are currently considering or implementing efforts to greatly increase coverage.

· Iowa’s problem is widely described as “fixable.”  We have one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation.

Approaches that might work:

· Cover all children and expand coverage to their parents.

· Use the new cigarette tax to reduce smoking, save lives and decrease related health costs, and using the revenues to increase health care coverage.

· Create incentives for employer wellness programs for employees.

Bush Beat

President Bush, who in 6 years has vetoed only 1 bill (stem cells), is on the verge of issuing a series of anti-labor vetoes….

A comment from:
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUST US

“...You might think that dragging around an approval rating lower than that of a flatulent weasel crashing a preschool prophylactic pageant, President Bush would be handicapped in accumulating another stash of clueless roommates, obscure toadies and party hacks to fill important government posts, but you my friend, would have another think coming. Even in his position as the lamest of ducks, the Prez remains steadfast in his two term mission to replace experienced professionals with the wretched excesses of party flackery, or more precisely—a reflection of him. …”  (©2007 Will Durst)

2007 State Community Services
Conference 

Topics will include:

· State of Healthcare in Iowa

· Drug Control Policy

· HAWK-I Community Outreach

· Employment and Training Programs

· Volunteer Iowa

· Immigration and Union Values

Updates and reports from:

· Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

· Big Brothers Big Sisters

· Iowa Finance Authority

· State of Iowa Labor Division

· Legal Aid of Iowa

Speakers include:

· Nancy McCormick, Midwest Regional Director, AFL-CIO CSL

· Angel Gonzalez, UI Labor Center

When: May 17—19, 2007

Where:  Adventureland Inn, Des Moines

Cost:  $100 (includes lunch Thursday and Friday and dinner on Friday.)

===============

For more information or to register for the conference:  Contact: 
Holly Sagar
South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. 

515-265-1862 / 515-326-0856  holly@scifl.org