Greetings and welcome to the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) web-site.

PERB is an executive branch agency created by the Iowa General Assembly in 1974 to administer the Public Employment Relations Act, Iowa Code chapter 20 which defines the collective bargaining rights and duties of public employers and public employees in Iowa. It is a neutral agency administered by a three-member Board. Currently there are more than 1,170 certified bargaining units in Iowa's public sector, encompassing employees of the state, cities, counties, area education agencies, community colleges, state universities, Iowa's school districts and special purpose districts.

We hope the information on this website is useful to you. Thanks for visiting.

James R. Riordan, Board Chair

PERB'S ELECTRONIC DATABASE SYSTEM
PERB's electronic research and retrieval system provides access to contracts, caselaw, and neutral decisions. There are now four databases of full-text documents in the system: Contracts, Contracts Archive, PERB and Court Decisions, and Neutral Decisions. Each database has a search engine to search the documents within that particular database for your word query and selected field information. Additionally, each database has an indexed listing of its documents which may be viewed by cliking on the database's Contents tab. To access the system, click on the "Searchable Databases" link on this homepage. Questions may be directed to Diana Richeson at diana.richeson@iowa.gov.

PERB HEALTH CARE DATABASE
The online system for collection of specific Iowa public sector information regarding health insurance, health care coverages, costs, and cost containment efforts has been changed. We are working toward participation by all 1170-plus public sector employers and employee groups in Iowa. To set up your account, for submission of information applicable to your bargaining unit, or to update the information previously submitted, click on the navigation bar on the left "Health Care Database" and click on "Create a survey or edit survey." To view or search information submitted by project participants, please go to the same navigation bar and click on "Search surveys." Questions about submitting your bargaining unit information or the overall purpose or use of the project may be addressed to Barb Marchant at 515/281-4048 or barbara.marchant@iowa.gov.

2009 PERB CONFERENCE
Save the dates and plan to attend the next PERB conference on October
8-9, 2009, at the West Des Moines Marriott. The conference will mark the 35th anniversary of the Public Employment Relations Act. A preview of the 2009 PERB Conference which includes highlights of the programs and presenters are contained in the Special Issue of the May, 2009 PERB Newsletter accessed below.

IOWA PERB NEWSLETTER
Beginning January, 2008, the PERB Newsletter is published on a quarterly basis. Prior issues can be viewed by clicking on the "Newsletter Archive" link. Questions may be addressed to Jim McClimon at (515) 281-4053 or james.mcclimon@iowa.gov Click here for May 2009 issue.

CONTRACTS
Please send all current contracts in Word format or PDF via email, preferably Word format, along with the number of employees covered under the agreement to nancy.anders@iowa.gov. Should you discover that you have not previously sent contracts currently in effect we would like to have those, too.

Contracts are now accessible and word searchable through our new electronic research and retrieval database system. Click on the "Searchable Databases" link to enter the system. Once there, you can select the Contracts database to search and retrieve current contracts or you can select Contracts Archive to search and retrieve expired contracts. Questions should be directed to Nancy Anders at 515-281-4041.

IMPASSE HEARING SCHEDULE AND DECISIONS
The fact-finding and interest arbitration hearing schedule and text of recently issued fact-finding recommendations and interest arbitration decisions are now posted and available for viewing by clicking on "Impasse Activity."