Ottumwa, Iowa, Hosts Labor Rally

March 20, 2011 -- More than 250 union supporters spent Sunday afternoon in Ottumwa Park listening to labor leaders from throughout Iowa who strongly opposed changes to the collective bargaining process for state employees, as passed by the Iowa House.

HF 525 would limit unions' ability to negotiate for health benefits and retirement benefits and permit employees to bypass their union and negotiate directly with an employing agency. The bill, which is not expected to pass the Democrat-controlled Iowa Senate, would also permit the governor or legislature to veto decisions an independent arbiter has reached. Republican proponents of HR 525 believe the House-passed legislation would give more flexibility to arbitrators and leave in place a number of areas for bargaining, such as wages, seniority, overtime, vacations, and health and safety issues.

That was not the sentiment in Ottumwa Park, where speakers included officers from UAW, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Teamsters, education groups, and others. An oft-stated point was that HR 525 is the first step to breaking unions and that if public sector employees lose some bargaining rights, it's the first step in limiting negotiating power of unions that represent private sector employees.

Kevin McGinity, Treasurer of the Ottumwa Education Association, noted it's been a long time since children employed in the silk mills in Patterson, NJ, staged a strike to try to get 11-hour days and a six-day work week, but "it's essential not to take for granted what collective bargaining has achieved." An important way to ensure workers retain their gains is to work to elect legislators and others who support union goals. This was echoed by several other speakers, who referred to 2010 as the year "we were asleep at the switch" and called on attendees to work hard in the 2012 election cycle.

Dan Holman, President of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, believes that if the proposal makes it to the governor's desk "we lose public sector bargaining rights in Iowa." He also reminded the audience to thank those state legislators who worked against HF 525, three of whom also spoke to attendees - Mary Gaskill (House District 93), Curt Hanson (HD 90) and Curt Swaim (HD 94).

Gaskill referred to other parts of HF 525, one of which would curtail much state spending for preschool, and another that would eliminate for one year local government contributions to IPERS, the state-managed retirement system for public sector employees.

"We need good government and starving the pension system and other programs does not make good government," Gaskill said.

The labor rally was sponsored by the Southern Iowa Labor Council AFL-CIO, whose president, Steve Siegel, explained the rationale for holding it in Ottumwa: "The proposals to limit collective bargaining affect union members across the state, and not everyone can take a day off during the week to go to Des Moines to talk to their legislators. It's important that all voices be heard."

Gary Dunham of Teamsters Local 238 expressed one point that the audience's largely Democrat labor supporters and Iowa Republicans would likely agree on. It's important to thank the veterans whose service made it possible for citizens to protest decisions with which they disagree.