Hunter
01/19/23
The union representing thousands of University of Iowa Health Care workers and the State Board of Regents started contract negotiations this week, with the two sides initially far apart on their offers.
The Gazette reports that the UIHC chapter of Service Employees International Union Local 199 asked regents to do what they’re no longer legally bound to do since the Iowa legislature stripped collective bargaining agreements down to base wages only in 2017. The union wants issues like pay differential, parental leave and staffing levels that they say sometimes leads to workplace violence put back into their contracts.
They also asked for a 14 percent bump in pay; the Regents offered 1 ½ to 3 percent.
Hannah Bott, chief negotiator for the union, said that university administrators have previously acknowledged that the UIHC is behind in wages, particularly for nurses. She added that their raise request is based on research they did on wages in other Midwestern states.
Employees who spoke at the initial meeting said if the Regents continue to offer minimum wage increases, health care workers will continue to leave the UIHC for other states that offer more money and less demanding work schedules.