Bill would change collective bargaining rules

A bill that’d make changes in the rules for collective bargaining cleared a Senate Committee yesterday, and Iverson says he wants to work with Governor Tom Vilsack to find something that’s acceptable to the Governor, who has expressed concerns but hasn’t completely shut the door on changes in union bargaining rules. House Speaker Christopher Rants, a republican from Sioux City, says state workers just won raises and increased benefits the state can’t afford.Rants says wages and benefits for state workers are outpacing the private sector, and the bill would let arbitrators weigh salary packages against what’s offered in the private sector.