HOUSE FILE 312

BY  WITTNEBEN, MURPHY, STECKMAN, WOLFE, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, HUNTER, HANSON, and THOMAS

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to public employees, by requiring a survey and report on state employee salaries and benefits and relating to the arbitration of public employee collective bargaining agreements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  Section 8.6, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  5.  Report on employee salaries and benefits.  To prepare a report containing a comprehensive survey of employee salaries and benefits by position, to include within this report a survey of salaries and benefits for comparable positions within the private sector, and to make the report available to the general assembly and the governor prior to the convening of each session of the general assembly in which a budget may be passed or prior to negotiation or renegotiation of a public employee collective bargaining agreement pursuant to chapter 20. The report shall be based upon regional information from each of the state’s workforce development service delivery areas designated by the state workforce development board as required in section 84B.2, so that it may be considered in relevant arbitration.
   Sec. 2.  Section 20.22, subsection 7, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0c.  Comparison of wages, hours, benefits, and conditions of employment of the involved public employees with those of other private sector employees doing comparable work, giving consideration to factors peculiar to the area and the classifications involved. The arbitrator shall, in this comparison, consider the report on employee salaries and benefits developed by the department of management, as required in section 8.6, subsection 5.
EXPLANATION
   This bill requires that the department of management provide the general assembly with a report that includes a survey of state employee wages and benefits by position, along with a survey of the wages and benefits of comparable positions within the private sector. The bill further requires that the department provide this report to the general assembly and the governor prior to the convening of each legislative session in which a budget may be passed or prior to negotiation or renegotiation of a public employee collective bargaining agreement. The report and survey must be based upon the state’s workforce development service delivery areas.
   The bill also requires that an arbitrator of public employee collective bargaining agreements consider the comparison of public and private sector wages and benefits peculiar to the area. The bill also requires an arbitrator to consider the report on employee salaries and benefits within that context.