Iowa Code » Chapter 20 — PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 20.1 (2026)

Public policy

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. The general assembly declares that it is the public policy of the state to promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between government and its employees by permitting public employees to organize and bargain collectively; to protect the citizens of this state by assuring effective and orderly operations of government in providing for their health, safety, and welfare; to prohibit and prevent all strikes by public employees; and to protect the rights of public employees to join or refuse to join, and to participate in or refuse to participate in, employee organizations. 2. The general assembly declares that the purposes of the employment appeal board with respect to this chapter are to implement the provisions of this chapter and adjudicate and conciliate employment-related cases involving the state of Iowa and other public employers and employee organizations. For these purposes the powers and duties of the board include but are not limited to the following: a. Determining appropriate bargaining units and conducting representation elections. b. Adjudicating prohibited practice complaints including the exercise of exclusive original jurisdiction over all claims alleging the breach of the duty of fair representation imposed by section 20.17. c. Fashioning appropriate remedial relief for violations of this chapter, including but not limited to the reinstatement of employees with or without back pay and benefits. d. Adjudicating and serving as arbitrators regarding state merit system grievances and, upon joint request, grievances arising under collective bargaining agreements between public employers and certified employee organizations. e. Providing mediators and arbitrators to resolve impasses in negotiations.\n\nTue Dec 09 22:32:26 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 20 (35, 0) §20.1, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING) 2\n\n f. Collecting and disseminating information concerning the wages, hours, and other conditions of employment of public employees. [C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.1] 86 Acts, ch 1238, §39, 58; 86 Acts, ch 1245, §229; 87 Acts, ch 19, §3; 90 Acts, ch 1037, §1, 2; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201; 2010 Acts, ch 1165, §1, 2; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2156; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §171 State merit system, see chapter 8A, subchapter IV\n\n 20.2 Title. This chapter shall be known as the “Public Employment Relations Act”. [C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.2]

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 31 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1965–2025 · leading case: State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 744 N.W.2d 357 (Iowa 2008).
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State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 744 N.W.2d 357 (Iowa 2008). · cites it 22× “In relevant part, section 20.1 provides: The general assembly declares that the purposes of the public employment relations board established by this chapter are to implement the provisions of this chapter and adjudicate and conciliate employment-related cases involving the…”
O'Hara v. State, Iowa Dep't of Gen. Servs., 642 N.W.2d 303 (Iowa 2002). · cites it 26× “1037, §§ 1, 2 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.1 (1995)). In addition, the legislature added the following language to section 20.”
Iowa State Educ. Ass'n & Davenport Educ. Ass'n v. State of Iowa, Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 928 N.W.2d 11 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 16× “See Iowa Code § 20.1 (1) (stating that the statute’s purpose is “to promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between government and its employees by permitting public employees to organize and bargain collectively”).”
Serv. Employees Int'l Union, Local 199 v. State of Iowa, Iowa Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 69 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 8× “(quoting Iowa Code § 20.1 (2001)). We also observed that the statute listed numerous powers and duties of PERB, including that PERB shall “[a]dminister the provisions [of this chapter]” and “adopt rules ‘to carry out the purposes of this chapter.”
Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010). · cites it 8× “Iowa Code § 20.1 . Only the legislature can define the scope of legislative actions.”
Sandhorst v. Mauk's Transfer, Inc., 252 N.W.2d 393 (Iowa 1977). · cites it 4× “Professor Gilmore aptly made this observation in his text, Security Interests in Personal Property, section 20.1, pages 554, 555 (1965): "Many of the certificate of title acts provide that no interest of any kind in a vehicle subject to the act shall be recognized unless…”
Lockhart v. Cedar Rapids Cmty. Sch. Dist., 963 F. Supp. 805 (N.D. Iowa 1997). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.1 (omitting second paragraph dealing with the establishment of the public employment relations board or “PERB”).”
Shenandoah Educ. Ass'n v. Shenandoah Cmty. Sch. Dist., 337 N.W.2d 477 (Iowa 1983). · cites it 4× “" Iowa Code § 20.1 . Collective bargaining and arbitration are a means of achieving this goal, but nowhere in chapter 20 are these tools given preference over other statutory tools of effective government.”
United Elec., Radio & Mach. Workers of Am. v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. & State of Iowa & Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 101 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 2× “" Iowa Code § 20.1 (1). This general declaration of statutory purpose has not been repealed and is, like Iowa Code section 20.”
City of Des Moines v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 275 N.W.2d 753 (Iowa 1979). · cites it 2× “Further, it is consistent with all four purposes of the Act set forth in § 20.1 and absolutely essential to one of those purposes: the assurance of effective and orderly operations of government.”
Lockhart v. Cedar Rapids Cmty. Sch. Dist., 577 N.W.2d 845 (Iowa 1998). · cites it 3× “§ 20.1 (setting forth public policy addressed in chapter 20).”
Kucera v. Baldazo, 745 N.W.2d 481 (Iowa 2008). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.1 (permitting public employees to organize and bargain collectively); id.”
Show all 31 citing cases →
— Iowa Code § 20.1(1) — 3 cases
Iowa State Educ. Ass'n & Davenport Educ. Ass'n v. State of Iowa, Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 928 N.W.2d 11 (Iowa 2019). “See Iowa Code § 20.1 (1) (stating that the statute’s purpose is “to promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between government and its employees by permitting public employees to organize and bargain collectively”).”
Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010). “Iowa Code § 20.1 . Only the legislature can define the scope of legislative actions.”
Clay Cnty., Iowa Vs. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. & Int'l Union Of Operating Engineers Local 234 (Iowa 2010).
— Iowa Code § 20.1(2) — 1 case
O'Hara v. State, Iowa Dep't of Gen. Servs., 642 N.W.2d 303 (Iowa 2002). “1037, §§ 1, 2 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.1 (1995)). In addition, the legislature added the following language to section 20.”
— Iowa Code § 20.1(2)(d) — 1 case
Derek Stanfield v. State of Iowa Dep't of Pub. Def. (Iowa Ct. App. 2025).
— Iowa Code § 20.1(3) — 3 cases
State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 744 N.W.2d 357 (Iowa 2008). “In relevant part, section 20.1 provides: The general assembly declares that the purposes of the public employment relations board established by this chapter are to implement the provisions of this chapter and adjudicate and conciliate employment-related cases involving the…”
O'Hara v. State, Iowa Dep't of Gen. Servs., 642 N.W.2d 303 (Iowa 2002). “1037, §§ 1, 2 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.1 (1995)). In addition, the legislature added the following language to section 20.”
State Of Iowa Vs. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. (Iowa 2008).
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