The vast majority of eligible state and local government workers in bargaining units have voted to retain their union representation. Danny Homan is president of the Iowa local for the American Federation of State, Countil and Municipal Employees — the AFSCME union. “I’m elated,” Homan says. “…I think this speaks volumes. People want to have their union.”

A new state law requires “recertification” votes before each round of contract talks with public sector workers. Over the past two weeks, members of 436 local bargaining units have voted to remain in their union. State officials say 32 bargaining units will be dissolved as a result of the balloting. Ninety-eight percent of the “locals” represented by the Iowa State Education Association retained the union.

The AFSCME union faced recertification votes in 42 bargaining units. One of those 42 units will no longer be represented by AFSCME. Two of the four eligible Carroll County Conservation Board employees voted yes and a third cast a void ballot. Homan, though, is challenging the decision on that ballot.

“With all the problems there were in this voting process, I’m ecstatic,” Homan says. “This proves what we’ve been saying all along. Folks want to have a say at the table. Folks want to have a say in their terms and conditions of employment. Most of our elections, all but one of them, they weren’t even close.” As a result of this month’s voting, the Service Employees International Union will no longer represent nearly 200 nurses at Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines.

About a third of the 32 bargaining units that will be dissolved were part of the Teamster Union, representing bus drivers, county jail employees and road crews. The Iowa State Education Association will no longer represent teachers in Glidden-Ralston, North Linn and Sigourney School Districts.

A majority of teachers who voted in those districts cast ballots to stay in the union, but teachers who did not cast ballots were counted as “no” votes under the new state rules. Iowa State Education Association president Tammy Wawro (WAR-oh) called that an “unreasonable standard.” Homan, the AFSCME union’s Iowa president, says it’s an unfair hurdle.

“I think people are just mad as heck at the Republicans that did this to them,” Homan says. More than 28-thousand Iowans cast ballots over the past two weeks in these recertification elections. If their public sector employers negotiate one-year contracts, there’ll be another round of voting like this a year from now.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Omaha arrested a man wanted in connection with the armed robbery Monday night of a man from Council Bluffs. The Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigations Division reports 21-year old Renante B. Perry, of Omaha, was arrested on a Probation Violation in Omaha. His arrest was handled by Nebraska State Probation and the Omaha Gang Unit. He is currently incarcerated in Douglas County Corrections and wanted in Iowa for 1st Degree Robbery.

Renante Perry

Official says at around 10:15-p.m., Monday, Council Bluffs Police Officers responded to the area of 204 South 10th Street, regarding a Robbery. Officers arrived on scene and made contact with the victim, 19-year old Donavan Belt. Donavan Belt reports that he was in the area on foot when he was approached by a male party (later identified as Renante Perry). Perry showed Belt a handgun and demanded his money before fleeing the area on foot.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The lawyer for a man charged with killing a gender-fluid Iowa teenager is urging jurors not to treat the case any differently knowing that a prominent federal prosecutor is involved. Curt Dial, attorney for 23-year-old Jorge Sanders-Galvez, says the “law applies the same whether we have one prosecutor or three prosecutors.” He was referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to assign hate crimes prosecutor Christopher Perras to assist at the first-degree murder trial.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa employment board has released more complete results from union elections linked to a new collective bargaining state law. The Iowa Public Employment Relations Board released data Wednesday afternoon that shows 436 union locals secured enough votes to keep representing public workers. Separately, 32 locals will essentially dismantle. The impacted workers will be barred from unionizing for two years.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An elderly Iowa man is suing First National Bank in Sioux Falls claiming its employees set up an account that enabled a relative to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from an annuity. Ninety-four-year-old Harold Wittrock, of Rock Rapids, says a relative established an account by forging Wittrock’s signature at the First National Bank and began withdrawing funds beginning in 2009.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Muscatine City Council wrongly removed the mayor from office. The Muscatine Journal reports that Judge Mark Cleve said in his ruling Tuesday that the removal violated Mayor Diana Broderson’s right to due process. The judge overturned the council’s vote and ordered the city to pay her legal fees.