Hunter
01/16/20
The judge who ruled that the Iowa Board of Regents engaged in bad-faith bargaining while waiting for the collective bargaining law to change says that the reprimand imposed is inadequate, but it’s impossible to turn the clock back and start over.
The Gazette reports that Judge Jeffrey Farrell wrote in his ruling Wednesday that the facts in the case “scream out for something greater than a cease-and-desist order,” but added “the case is not that simple.”
In 2017, lawmakers were advancing legislation that ended up gutting the existing collective bargaining law, and regents were refusing to negotiate with their unions, hoping that the legislation would pass.
Farrell also commented that the passing of the legislation was done in an “uncommonly short period of time.” The bill was first introduced on February 9th and passed it a mere 8 days later.
Judge Farrell wrote that even if there was good-faith bargaining, the parties might have not reached a final agreement by the 17t, and if the bill didn’t pass by March 15th a contract would have been approved as per Iowa law.
Representatives for the unions who filed suit are likely to appeal.