Iowa Code » Chapter 20 — PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 20.8 (2026)

Public employee rights

✓ current as of July 2026
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Public employees shall have the right to:

1. Organize, or form, join, or assist any employee organization.

2. Negotiate collectively through representatives of their own choosing.

3. Engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection insofar as any such activity is not prohibited by this chapter or any other law of the state.

4. Refuse to join or participate in the activities of employee organizations, including the payment of any dues, fees or assessments or service fees of any type.

5. Exercise any right or seek any remedy provided by law, including but not limited to those rights and remedies available under sections 70A.28 and 70A.29, chapter 8A, subchapter IV, and chapters 216 and 400. [C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.8] 2017 Acts, ch 2, §5, 26, 27 Referred to in §20.10 \n

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases, 1978–2019 · leading case: Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010).
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Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010). · cites it 12× “See Iowa Code § 20.8 (3) (2003). Specifically, we must decide whether the rights contained in section 20.”
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 v. State of Iowa & Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 928 N.W.2d 21 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 2× “§ 20.8. Employees could vote to select a union to represent them.”
Lockhart v. Cedar Rapids Cmty. Sch. Dist., 963 F. Supp. 805 (N.D. Iowa 1997). · cites it 2× “The court recognizes that such a change would benefit the public employee, in the form of much greater job security, but the logical placement for a statute implementing such a dramatic change would be in § 20.8, which is entitled “Public Employee Rights.”
Norton v. Adair Cnty., 441 N.W.2d 347 (Iowa 1989). · cites it 2× “Interfere with, restrain, coerce or harass any public employee with respect to any of [the employee’s] rights under this chapter or in order to prevent .”
Lockhart v. Cedar Rapids Cmty. Sch. Dist., 577 N.W.2d 845 (Iowa 1998). · cites it 2× “The second observation we make is that the disputed language is found in a section dealing with employers’ rights, not in the following section, section 20.8, setting forth public employees’ rights.”
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). “Is a public employee's right to negotiate collectively nullified by an interpretation that allows negotiation only for the wages paid to others? We cannot ignore these larger statutory considerations. Still, by negotiating base rates, the union can establish what amounts to a…”
Ross v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 417 N.W.2d 475 (Iowa Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 4× “Iowa Code § 20.8 (3) (1985). 20.10 Prohibited practices.”
Iowa Ass'n of Sch. Boards v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 400 N.W.2d 571 (Iowa 1987). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.8 . “Public employee” is defined as “any individual employed by a public employer, except individuals exempted under the provisions of section 20.”
Marshalltown Educ. Ass'n v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 299 N.W.2d 469 (Iowa 1980). “” § 20.8, The Code. Neither are the administrators in question members of this particular bargaining unit.”
Fort Dodge Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 319 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1982). · cites it 2× “It is also fallacious to omit statutory employee rights in section 20.8 from any balancing process. *186 The result is not merely recognition of a legislative intent to have a short list of mandatory bargaining topics.”
Burlington Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 268 N.W.2d 517 (Iowa 1978). “10(3)(a), The Code, as such insistence would interfere with the rights of public employees to bargain collectively under § 20.8(2), The Code. The right of the public to be informed concerning decisions reached in the collective bargaining process is adequately protected by § 20.”
Ft. Dodge Com. Sch. v. Pub. Employ. Rel. Bd., 319 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1982). · cites it 2× “It is also fallacious to omit statutory employee rights in section 20.8 from any balancing process. *186 The result is not merely recognition of a legislative intent to have a short list of mandatory bargaining topics.”
Show all 16 citing cases →
— Iowa Code § 20.8(2) — 2 cases
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). “Is a public employee's right to negotiate collectively nullified by an interpretation that allows negotiation only for the wages paid to others? We cannot ignore these larger statutory considerations. Still, by negotiating base rates, the union can establish what amounts to a…”
Burlington Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 268 N.W.2d 517 (Iowa 1978). “10(3)(a), The Code, as such insistence would interfere with the rights of public employees to bargain collectively under § 20.8(2), The Code. The right of the public to be informed concerning decisions reached in the collective bargaining process is adequately protected by § 20.”
— Iowa Code § 20.8(3) — 3 cases
Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010). “See Iowa Code § 20.8 (3) (2003). Specifically, we must decide whether the rights contained in section 20.”
Ross v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 417 N.W.2d 475 (Iowa Ct. App. 1987). “Iowa Code § 20.8 (3) (1985). 20.10 Prohibited practices.”
Clay Cnty., Iowa Vs. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. & Int'l Union Of Operating Engineers Local 234 (Iowa 2010).
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