Health care stripped from collective bargaining as statewide insur plan takes shape ALEC IOWA

[riversedge]

Walker did the same thing in WI 5 years ago!! It was ALEC at work in WI also!




IA4PublicEducation
‏@Iowans4PublicEd

Current bargaining law (Ch 20) years in the making. New bill HSB84 copy & pasted frm ALEC legislation, rammed thru in 1 wk. #saveiaworkers

Link to tweet

Health care stripped from collective bargaining as statewide insurance plan takes shape

http://linkis.com/com/xkKHG



Brianne Pfannenstiel , [e-mail] 3:39 p.m. CT Feb. 10, 2017
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Republican lawmakers – who won a majority in 2016 - say Iowa's current law provides overly generous benefits and leads to government overspending. Wochit
Labor Union ProtestBuy Photo

(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)
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Sweeping changes proposed to Iowa’s collective bargaining laws would block most public-sector unions from negotiating over health insurance, though they stop short of instituting a mandatory statewide health insurance system Gov. Terry Branstad has floated.

Republican leaders say they considered including such a plan in the legislation, but felt it could be too restrictive. Instead, the bill leaves open the possibility for a voluntary statewide health insurance program that employers could opt into.

“We want to make sure people are able to look at what best meets their needs,” said House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake. She said she anticipates a statewide program would be made available as an option for employers around the first of the year.

Branstad’s spokesman Ben Hammes declined to answer questions about when such a proposal might be made or what provisions it would include. He said in a statement that if the proposed collective bargaining changes were to become law, "we would begin working to develop common sense solutions" related to health insurance.....................

[guillaumeb]

1. So when union members support Republicans,

and when these same Republicans attack the union members that supported them,

and this happens election after election, state after state,

what are we to think of the reasoning ability of these workers?

[Jake Stern]

2. I've noticed that when union members vote GOP it's usually over hot button issues, not economic ones

Couple of guys at the unionized grocery store I used to work at are avid hunters/gun enthusiasts who see Dems as gun grabbers.

My cousin is a union member who votes Republican due her church's teaching that abortion is a mortal sin.