Democrats seek weekend agreement on union bill
BY JENNIFER JACOBS • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • April 18, 2008


Democratic leaders will try to reach an agreement this weekend with the governor on a controversial bill that would give public employee unions more power at the negotiating table.

"We’re looking forward to working with them in good faith to try to resolve any potential differences," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat from Des Moines, said this morning. "We’re going to be meeting with them throughout the weekend."


Gov. Chet Culver has threatened to veto House File 2645, a piece of legislation that would change the dynamics at the bargaining table.

The bill would allow public workers the ability to negotiate a wider range of issues. Democrats had intended to pass the bill through both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate in two days, but delay tactics by Republican lawmakers slowed that process to six days.

Opponents have said the decision on whether to increase property taxes to satisfy union members’ demands will rest with arbitrators, who are not elected by the people.

One percent of negotiations reach an impasse and require an arbitrator, McCarthy said during a taping of the public television program “Iowa Press.â€