Republican Attacks On Police, Firefighters, Teachers And More Hurt All Iowa

It is assumed that the Republicans in the legislature will introduce anti-public employee bills today. It may range from Governor Branstad’s proposal to remove health care from the current menu of benefits to an all-out assault on public employees rights to negotiate their futures. Every Iowan should be concerned about any changes to the proven process of negotiation that has resulted in 40 years of labor peace and more efficient government. Republican attacks on a process that isn’t broken will adversely affect every Iowan regardless of whether they are public or private employees.

The Republican attacks on police, firefighters, teachers, nurses and many other public sector employees may be the initial casualties. However, the Iowa Policy Project (IPP) has conducted a thorough analysis showing the resulting damage to the Iowa economy and to all Iowans. The potential damage isn’t just speculation. There are other states that have destroyed very well established, successful and balanced employer/employee negotiation processes like Iowa’s. IPP points to the recent destruction of public sector rights made in Wisconsin.

New limitations on collective bargaining predictably opens the door to erosion of wages, benefits, and working conditions in public employment, and corresponding spillover effects of downward pressure on wages and working conditions in the private sector. Such labor market effects have become evident in Wisconsin five years after dramatic collective bargaining changes were enacted, and lawmakers in Iowa should be wary of the statewide economic impact likely to accompany any such changes here. Since 2011, Wisconsin has fallen to 40th of 50 states in job growth, and 42nd in wage growth. (IPP)

IPP points to the tremendous ripple effects to the Iowa economy that will lead to, “greater income inequality, disproportionate damage to rural areas and staff shortages and threats to quality in education and health care.” Republicans’ election commitments have been to increase wages and salaries for all Iowans. Governor Branstad ran for reelection in 2010 promising a 25% increase in Iowans salaries within five years. Branstad has totally failed in reaching that goal as Iowans’ salaries and wages have remained stagnant. Now Republicans in the legislature want to destroy a proven employer/employee process that will inevitably result in lower wages and salaries for all Iowans.

The IPP cites nationwide evidence that shows a direct relationship between collective bargaining and “workers’ ability to garner incomes that keep pace with inflation and productivity gains and reductions in income inequality.” Likewise, similar compelling evidence confirms an erosion of collective bargaining rights is the, “single largest factor suppressing wage growth for middle wage workers, whose wages have now stagnated for over a generation.”

The fact that large portions of Iowa are rural makes the state especially vulnerable to decreases in public sector wages and employment. According to the USDA the “public sector is a major source of earned income in rural areas that tend to attract far fewer of the financial, professional, or information service activities concentrated in urban areas.” The USDA data suggests reduced public-service employment will have, “negative effects in rural counties, along with negative multiplier effects on private-sector employment.”

Iowa is already struggling to find sufficient math and science teachers to recruit due to budget cuts. Wisconsin’s dismantling of collective bargaining has resulted in severe shortages of teachers and lower educational achievement. Iowa ranks number 50, dead last in the salaries it pays to registered nurses. Any additional cuts will further the shortage of workers in the health care field. Currently 54 of Iowa’s 99 counties are labeled as either a full or partial health care shortage area. Destroying collective bargaining would result in more shortages and income erosion for both teachers and health care workers.

Iowans must demand that Republicans explain how blowing up a 40 year proven record of public sector bargaining will result in anything but chaos. They need to look no further than what Governor Branstad did by privatizing Medicaid. Iowa’s state managed Medicaid was working very efficiently, providing crucial services at reasonable costs. Governor Branstad ignored that success and made many of the same empty promises of lower costs, greater efficiency and better services. All those Republican promises have proven totally false, and all Iowans are seeing the disastrous effects on the most vulnerable Iowans. Now, once again, Republicans want to break a proven and equitable labor negotiating process and replace it with a Wisconsin model that has failed miserably.

We must stand with our public service friends and neighbors and oppose the Republicans’ reckless attacks. We all have a dog in this fight. Iowa’s prosperity and reputation depends on resisting the Republicans’ assault that will harm the future of all Iowans. Look at the list below of the Iowa Public employees that currently negotiate their collective bargaining contracts. These are the people working in all of our communities that deserve our respect and gratitude.

34,400 state employees

11,595 county employees

11,562 city employees

56,402 local school employees

2,948 area education agency employees

2,114 community college employees

Iowans must unite and defend the people that keep us safe, educate our children, maintain our health and provide the public services we all must depend on everyday.

by Rick Smith
Posted 2/6/17