PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2019
Contact: Mazie Stilwell, Communications Specialist
(515) 246-1517 | [email protected]
FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, IOWA WORKERS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE TO KEEP THEIR VOICE AND THEIR UNION
DES MOINES – AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement regarding the results of the third round of recertification elections:
“For the third year in a row, Iowa public service workers have made it clear that they value their unity, their voice on the job, and their union by overwhelmingly voting in favor of recertification.
“The everyday heroes who work day in and day out to carry out the public services our communities rely on have far better things to do than redundantly vote to retain their workplace rights. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Iowa GOP has forced them to do. Year after year, workers continue to stand up to the rigged recertification system put in their way and denounce the union-busting efforts of Republican politicians in Iowa.
“We are pleased to see that 52 AFSCME-covered bargaining units won their recertification votes. In a system where those who do not participate are counted as no votes, achieving a 95% approval makes it clear that public service workers will not be deterred by the continued efforts to take their rights away. These workers never quit on their communities, nor will they quit on their union.”
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 61 represents 40,000 public employees in Iowa including law enforcement and correctional officers, firefighters, mental health workers, professional school staff, emergency responders, and many other workers. AFSCME Council 61 also represents home health care and child care providers across the state and private-sector workers at Prairie Meadows, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Des Moines University, and ABM (Marshalltown).
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