1. For negotiations regarding a bargaining unit with at least thirty percent of members
who are public safety employees, the public employer and the employee organization
shall meet at reasonable times, including meetings reasonably in advance of the public
employer’s budget-making process, to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours,
vacations, insurance, holidays, leaves of absence, shift differentials, overtime compensation,
supplemental pay, seniority, transfer procedures, job classifications, health and safety
matters, evaluation procedures, procedures for staff reduction, in-service training, grievance
procedures for resolving any questions arising under the agreement, and other matters
mutually agreed upon. For negotiations regarding a bargaining unit that does not have at
least thirty percent of members who are public safety employees, the public employer and
the employee organization shall meet at reasonable times, including meetings reasonably
in advance of the public employer’s budget-making process, to negotiate in good faith with
respect to base wages and other matters mutually agreed upon. Such obligation to negotiate
in good faith does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or make a concession.
Mandatory subjects of negotiation specified in this subsection shall be interpreted narrowly
and restrictively.
2. Nothing in this section shall diminish the authority and power of the department of
administrative services, board of regents’ merit system, Iowa public broadcasting board’s
merit system, or any civil service commission established by constitutional provision, statute,
charter, or special act to recruit employees, prepare, conduct, and grade examinations, rate\n\nTue Dec 09 22:32:26 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 20 (35, 0)
§20.9, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING) 6\n\ncandidates in order of their relative scores for certification for appointment or promotion or
for other matters of classification, reclassification, or appeal rights in the classified service of
the public employer served.
3. All retirement systems, dues checkoffs, and other payroll deductions for political action
committees or other political contributions or political activities shall be excluded from the
scope of negotiations. For negotiations regarding a bargaining unit that does not have at least
thirty percent of members who are public safety employees, insurance, leaves of absence for
political activities, supplemental pay, transfer procedures, evaluation procedures, procedures
for staff reduction, and subcontracting public services shall also be excluded from the scope
of negotiations.
4. The term of a contract entered into pursuant to this chapter shall not exceed five years.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.9]
2003 Acts, ch 145, §286; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §6, 26, 27
Referred to in §20.3, 20.10, 20.15, 20.17, 20.22, 21.9, 70A.30, 284.3A
Certain dues checkoffs prohibited, see §70A.19
\n
Notes of Decisions
State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 508 N.W.2d 668 (Iowa 1993).
· cites it 248× “Chapter 20 of the Iowa Code provides the statutory framework governing the rights of public employees to organize and collectively bargain as well as the rights of public employers with respect to the collective bargaining process. Specifically, section 20.7 outlines the rights…”
Charles City Educ. Ass'n v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 291 N.W.2d 663 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 94× “Respondent Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) and intervenor Charles City Community School District (District) appeal from a district court judicial review decision holding that the nature of the postgraduate education hours necessary to advance a teacher on a salary…”
Waterloo Educ. Ass'n v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations, 740 N.W.2d 418 (Iowa 2007).
· cites it 66× “Whether a proposal is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining, as defined by Iowa Code § 20.9 , has not been explicitly vested in PERB’s discretion.”
Charles City Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 275 N.W.2d 766 (Iowa 1979).
· cites it 58× “In this appeal we must decide whether two contract proposals made by a public employee organization in collective bargaining negotiations with a public employer are mandatory subjects for bargaining under § 20.9 of the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA), Chapter 20, The…”
City of Mason City v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 316 N.W.2d 851 (Iowa 1982).
· cites it 66× “Petitioner City of Mason City appeals from a district court judicial review decision holding that the following employee organization proposal was a mandatory subject of bargaining as "insurance" under section 20.9, The Code: The employer shall pay the entire premium for Health…”
Saydel Educ. Ass'n v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 333 N.W.2d 486 (Iowa 1983).
· cites it 44× “Iowa Code section 20.9 establishes the perimeter of mandatory bargaining, providing in part that [t]he public employer and the employee organization shall meet at reasonable times, including meetings reasonably in advance of the public employer's budget-making process, to…”
City of Fort Dodge v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 275 N.W.2d 393 (Iowa 1979).
· cites it 29× “" The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) determined the allowance was a mandatory subject of negotiations under § 20.9, The Code, and the city sought judicial review under our Administrative Procedures Act, § 17A.”
State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 744 N.W.2d 357 (Iowa 2008).
· cites it 24× “The ALJ concluded the State’s refusal to produce the requested documents violated its “statutory duty to bargain in good faith” under section 20.9. Although not cited by the union in its complaints, section 20.”
Ne. Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 408 N.W.2d 46 (Iowa 1987).
· cites it 38× “Three of the disputed proposals involved teacher evaluations, and one provided for a process by which to grieve inappropriate or erroneous evaluations.”
— Iowa Code § 20.9(1) — 4 cases
— Iowa Code § 20.9(3) — 3 cases
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