2012 Session ends and election season begins!

The 2012 Session ended with no changes to Iowa's collective bargaining laws or state worker insurance. The Iowa Senate led by Senator Mike Gronstal held the line on employee rights. We owe the Democrats in the Iowa Senate everything!

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Members of AFSCME know that Terry Branstad is dead set on destroying our jobs, our benefits, and our right to collectively bargain. I wanted to share an important new development with you: Branstad is now raising campaign money for the union busting, equal pay for women repealing, and extreme Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Read more >>>

Welcome to the Legislative Session that never ends…the sequel!

Following in the footsteps of the 2011 Session House Republicans are refusing to go along with the Governor and Senate budgets. While media reports say they are close – big ticket items that affect our members and all of Iowa’s working families still remain.

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May 15th - Now with new and lower prices....

Touchdown!

As a member of AFSCME, you are part of a powerful voice for 40,000 public employees in Iowa. But we’re also a union family that likes to have fun. And what’s more fun than a night enjoying arena football with your AFSCME brothers and sisters?

Join us for our first AFSCME Members Night at the Iowa Barnstormers on Friday, June 1st. Kickoff is at 7:05 pm at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Discounted tickets for AFSCME members and their families start at $10 (NEW LOW PRICE).

If you are interested in joining us for the Barnstormers game against the Cleveland Gladiators, you can use this order form. You’re sure to see an interesting game and you might even catch a glimpse of a future superstar.

On game day make sure to wear your AFSCME green. See you there!

Download: AFSCME Members Night at the Iowa Barnstormers Order Form
 

AFSCME Iowa Council 61
4320 NW Second Ave, Des Moines IA 50313
Phone and Fax: 515-246-1517 or (800)-372-6054 or 515-244-6467 (fax)

Please do not email us from your work location or using a work email address.  This can and has led to discipline from management.

QUICK LINKS:
Support Businesses Supporting Public Employees
Order "We Are Your Neighbors" Window Clings
Members Only: Sign up for our email list
How to Join AFSCME: Contact our Organizers
We Are Your Neighbors: Public Employees in your Community
AFSCME Local Websites: are here if yours has set one up.

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 MOST RECENT AFSCME IOWA NEWS:

Ames, Iowa — More than 40 people held up signs with slogans such as “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!,” “Pay Your Fair Share of Taxes We do,” and “Make Wall Street Pay,” during the Tax Day Rally Tuesday, April 17th, in front of the closed Iowa Workforce Development Office at 122 Kellogg St. in Ames.

Iowans fed up with a system that gives tax cuts to the wealthy and loopholes to corporations rallied to expose Representative King for his anti-middle class voting record, and to bring attention to how choices being made by public officials are negatively affecting Iowans’ lives.

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Iowa Workforce Development officials have reversed a decision to go to on-line and telephone-only access at the center in Des Moines. Go to the following sites to read the IWD news release and an article at The Des Moines Register’s Web site.

Click here for the Iowa Workforce development news release

Click here for The Des Moines Register article

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Following is a message we sent out to Child Care Providers. We are also asking all our members to contact their legislators on behalf of Child Care Providers. Read the following message before you call, as we explain the issue and have made a suggestion on what you can say to Legislators.

Rare Opportunity for Child Care Providers arises in Legislative Shutdown

SF 2336 is the Senate version of the Health and Human Services Budget which was passed today by the Iowa Senate and sent to the House. This bill contains a rare opportunity for child care providers to inch closer to the Union’s legislative priority of increasing the state assistance market rate. The proposed rate increase is 4% and was added by Senator Jack Hatch, Senator Amanda Ragan and the Democratic majority. All Republican Senators voted against this bill as a whole.

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Legislative Update
April 13, 2012

The Iowa Legislature is scheduled to adjourn for the year on April 17th. Since the budget is still a major disagreement with the House and Senate, making this deadline does not seem possible. The Governor and Senate Democrats are closer on budget numbers than the House Republicans and the Governor. As odd as it seems they are about $75 million apart.

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!LEGISLATIVE ALERT!

Same issue different Day:
Republican House attacks State Worker Collective Bargaining rights

House Study Bill 674, the standings appropriations bill, passed its first hurdle today by passing out of House Appropriations.

The study bill contains many provisions that AFSCME opposes – the most egregious requiring state workers to pay 25 percent of their insurance costs.

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Iowa
Legislative Update
3/31/2012

With the scheduled adjournment date a little less than three weeks away, the House and Senate are in conference committees trying to resolve differences between all but one budget bill (transportation). The emergency appropriation for Iowa Workforce Development (SF 2324) was sent to the Governor and he is expected to sign the legislation early this week.

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 House Passes SF 2324 - Workforce Funding
Governor Expected to Sign

The Iowa House sent SF 2324 to the Governor today for his signature. This adds over $8 million general fund dollars back into the Department of Workforce Development to plug the hole created by the Governor's illegal veto (Supreme Court ruling).

Quote from Representative Chris Hall of Sioux City and a link to video: 

“This is good work; it’s what people throughout Iowa, people in my district are clamoring for. When given a limited timeline and at the fall out of the veto and the ruling of the Supreme Court we have put together legislation that provides supplemental funding to those offices to keep them open…

It’s something that will provide people who are unemployed or underemployed and looking for work the opportunity to meet face-to-face with somebody to look for better options in the workforce development field.”

http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/video-workforce-education-topics-at-legislative-leaders-press-conference/

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House Study Bill 670 and Senate Study Bill 3198 restore FY 12 money for the Department of Workforce Development. Both bills are expected to pass out of committee this week and be debated in their respective Chambers early next week. Read more >>>

Progress Iowa is a new advocacy organization members may find useful: http://www.progressiowa.org/

 

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Dear Government Workers of Iowa,

This letter is to keep you up to date on the Iowa Supreme Court ruling on the lawsuit Homan et al vs. Branstad, and its aftermath.

• To Read the letter continue to "Read More"
• To read media reports and editorials on the lawsuit click on "Read More," then go to  "resources" at the end of the page or click on the following links:

'Veto's Fallout'

'Don't Make Unemployed the Victims'
'We Need Solutions'
'Illegal veto, not lawsuit, put services at risk'
Gov. Branstad's Response

 

 

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AFSCME Iowa Council 61 continues to track bills which have made it through two funnels during the current Legislative Session. Read more >>>

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 has a job opening for a Union Representative. This is a professional-level position that is responsible for providing a broad array of technical and administrative services to affiliated local unions, local union officers, and union members, in the process of carrying out the representational duties of the union.
Incumbents may be headquartered in the Des Moines office, or in offices maintained in
their homes within their assigned staff areas. This position reports to, and works under
the general supervision of the President and the Assistant to the President of Council 61. Read more >>>

Approximately 300 Council 61 members attended the annual Legislative Day Conference, then traveled to the State Capitol to talk to their legislators Feb. 29. Read more >>>

The Iowa House Republicans placed HJR 2010 (formerly HJR 2006) on their calendar for debate this week. This resolution is very similar to the resolution defeated by voters in 1999. It seems creating jobs for Iowans is not enough on the plate of the 2012 Legislature and instead soundly defeated ballot measures which add spending limits to the Iowa constitution are a necessary priority as well. Read more >>>

Register now for leadership program planned by The Iowa CareGivers Association holds  each year for people who work in the field of direct care. View the brochure and registeration form online.
Read more >>>

Justice Not Politics is encouraging Iowans to sign an open letter to the Legislature in support of Iowa's court funding. Justice Not Politics is a broad-based non-partisan coalition of organizations and Iowans committed to protecting Iowa’s courts and the State’s system of merit selection and retention. Read more >>>

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 hosted a town hall meeting Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Regency Inn in Marshalltown. More than 50 Iowa Veterans Home employees, members of Locals 2984 and 3746, gave voice to their fears, lack of morale, and lack of faith in administration during the meeting. They discussed the situation with Sen. Steven J. Sodders, D-State Center; Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown; Danny J. Homan, President of AFSCME Iowa Council 61; Marcia Nichols, AFSCME Iowa Legislative/Political Director; and Greg Lewis, AFSCME Iowa Union Representative. Read more >>>

SF 2071,  an FY 2012 Supplemental bill for Corrections and the Mental Health Risk Pool  is on the Governor’s desk.

 

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Political Director Marcia Nichols writes about the work done in the legislature last week: Budget work in the Iowa House included cutting field staff appropriations by half. Both the House and Senate Transportation committees have passsed gas tax increases to their debate calendar and the Iowa Senate passed an Earned Income Tax Credit.

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The House plan for commercial property tax reform came out of committee as HF 2274. The full House is expected to take up the bill next week. The bill includes a rollback on the assessed value of commercial property to 60% over eight years, an increase in the school foundation formula to 100% over eight years, limits on local spending, with indexing for inflation and over time, $240 million for local governments to help with the reductions. Read more >>>

Political Director Marcia Nichols, AFSCME Iowa Council 61, highlights what has happened so far in Iowa's 2012 Legislative session. This report highlights budget targets being released. Additionally, there is discussion of SF 2017, which is a supplemental appropriation bill for the Department of Corrections. Read more >>>

 Iowa Unionist: The newsletter of AFSCME Iowa Council 61: Winter 2012 is now published. Read about the first week of the 2012 Legislative session, a call to action from AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan and more. Click here to view Read more >>>

What can a person expect from unemployment compensation? To receive the benefit, a person must be able to work, available for work and actively seeking work. However, a person does not need to accept a job offer, Work can be refused as unsuitable for such reasons as lower wages, terms and conditions of employment and geographical location.

For more detailed "Fast Facts About Unemployment" click here.

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The second week of the Iowa Legislature came to a close with two pieces of major legislation in subcommittee – HSB 500 and HSB 519- Property Tax Reform and the Governor’s Education Reform Bills –HSB 517 and SSB 3009. The Iowa House Republican Majority (60-40) will most likely be the body these bills are taken up with HSB 500 being the property tax vehicle. Read more >>>

The Iowa Legislature convened on Monday January 9th. AFSCME Iowa Council 61 will be following bills of interest to AFSCME members and their families. Updates will be emailed to members who have signed up to receive them. Go to www. Afscmeiowa.org and sign up to receive updates. If you would prefer to receive a text please email Nicole at nvanderlinden@afscmeiowa.org 
  Read more >>>

This latest Legislative Update looks at appropriations work on property taxes, education and a supplemental appropriations bill to fund Iowa Workforce Development.

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan: Governor Branstad’s Hypocrisy Showing Again;

Branstad Says Respect Legislature’s intent on Dove Hunting, but not on Iowa Workforce Development Closures

In Governor Branstad’s weekly news conference the Governor stated, "We need to respect the intent of the legislature and an issue of this magnitude should be decided by the legislature, not an unelected commission." Read more >>>

FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE
MAY 31, 2011

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan Calls on Governor Branstad to Release Plans on Possible Government Shutdown

“Today, Governor Branstad discussed publically with the news media that his administration has been making contingency plans in the event that there is no budget compromise and state government shuts down on July 1, 2011. While the state has engaged in planning, state employees need information to be able to do the same. "

READ MORE IN THIS ARTICLE

AFSCME Corrections Officers across Iowa have held a a series of press conferences demanding to know why the Department of Corrections has failed to hire 40 security positions budgeted for by the Legislature.  More are planned on Thursday, 11.10.11 and Thursday, 11.17.11. Read more >>>

Richard and Julie Thompson are the AFSCME Council 61 Political Volunteers of the Month! Read more >>>

Video streaming by Ustream

As a correctional officer for the State of Iowa, let me tell the public of the many “hats” that we wear. Let me reiterate that we are “correctional officers,” not guards. “Guard” simplifies what we do for a living too much.

We are trained in our department’s Mission Statement, which is to “protect the public, protect the employees and to protect the offenders.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Think about the word “protect.” It means security, it means safety and it means fiscal responsibility. Read more >>>

Read the story in the Newton Daily News here.

Hello, my name is Danny Homan, President of AFSCME Iowa Council 61. I want to begin by saying that I find the way this public hearing was scheduled very troubling. This public hearing is being held one day before the Iowa House will likely take up this bill, which gives the public very little time to react to these nearly 600 pages of legislation. This hearing was scheduled just yesterday, which gives people very little time to make plans to be here, no matter who you are or what you do. Originally this hearing was scheduled from 8 am to 10 am, a time that is not very friendly to working people, I am sure that was done by design. Then, at the last minute, it was changed again, for 4 pm today. Very few AFSCME members are be able to be here to voice their concerns about this bill, because they are working, and had no time to ask for leave or make other arrangements to speak. When the majority party campaigned last year, we heard promises that they would bring greater transparency to this chamber and the legislative process. This entire bill, and the process that surrounds it, should make it very clear that the promises of greater transparency was nothing more than cheap campaign rhetoric.

AFSCME members are concerned about what will happen in the event of a government shutdown. Many state workers are living paycheck to paycheck, just like most of America’s middle class. They have to feed their families, pay their mortgages, car payments, and other obligations, yet today the Iowa House began the day worried about who’s name is on some building in Ames. That is a slap in the face to the public who now finds themselves in this serious situation.

I have submitted a freedom of information act request to the Governor to understand what he called “contingency plans” are being made in the event of a government shutdown. Eight days have now passed without action on that item. While this may seem like a political game to you or the Governor, remember you are dealing with families’ livelihoods. State workers are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet – they are your neighbors and a vital part of Iowa’s economy.

HF 697 is the wrong way to go about passing a much needed budget for Iowa. To take legislation that has failed, mix it in with a budget, and roll it up into one of the largest bills in Iowa history is just plain wrong. The collective bargaining bill that was brought up before this legislature was rightly rejected by the Iowa Senate. The changes that were suggested are just too extreme. We are Iowa, not Wisconsin or Ohio, and I appreciate that some in the legislature understood that. At the beginning of session, I had a conversation with Speaker Paulsen, who assured me that the new majority would not be “taking it out” on public employees. After witnessing the events of this entire session and the past few days, I know I was wrong to believe him.

AFSCME Iowa has begun a campaign to talk to our neighbors and local business about what exactly public employees do, how much they spend in our local main street businesses, and how they are an integral part of our communities. This is a great way to get involved in a grassroots way as an AFSCME member. If you'd like window clings to invite your neighbors to show their support for public employees, or if you are interested in talking to your local businesses about what you spend in your community at their shops, please fill out the form and we'll get you some in the mail right away!

To order free clings and signs, go here: http://action.afscme.org/signup_page/clings-and-business-signs

The following are businesses that understand that public employees are a part of their community's economy, and public employee and union members' money is welcome there.  They have chosen to proudly show their support with a sign in their window that says "We Support Public Employees ... Public Employee Dollars Are Welcome Here."

AFSCME Members: please support these businesses - they support you and the role you play in your communities.

FULL (and growing) LIST since 04/26/11

Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee after Pres. Obama’s State of the Union address Read more >>>