2023 Iowa Code › Title I - STATE SOVEREIGNTY AND MANAGEMENT › Chapter 20 - PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING) › Section 20.10 - Prohibited practices.

20.10 Prohibited practices.
1. It shall be a prohibited practice for any public employer, public employee, or employee organization to refuse to negotiate in good faith with respect to the scope of negotiations as defined in section 20.9.
2. It shall be a prohibited practice for a public employer or the employer’s designated representative to:
a. Interfere with, restrain, or coerce public employees in the exercise of rights granted by this chapter.
b. Dominate or interfere in the administration of any employee organization.
c. Encourage or discourage membership in any employee organization, committee, or association by discrimination in hiring, tenure, or other terms or conditions of employment.
d. Discharge or discriminate against a public employee because the employee has filed an affidavit, petition, or complaint or given any information or testimony under this chapter, or because the employee has formed, joined, or chosen to be represented by any employee organization.
e. Refuse to negotiate collectively with representatives of certified employee organizations as required in this chapter.
f. Deny the rights accompanying certification granted in this chapter.
g. Refuse to participate in good faith in any agreed upon impasse procedures or those set forth in this chapter.
h. Engage in a lockout.
3. It shall be a prohibited practice for public employees or an employee organization or for any person, union, or organization or their agents to:
a. 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 or discourage the employee’s exercise of any such right, including, without limitation, all rights under section 20.8.
b. Interfere, restrain, or coerce a public employer with respect to rights granted in this chapter or with respect to selecting a representative for the purposes of negotiating collectively or the adjustment of grievances.
c. Refuse to bargain collectively with a public employer as required in this chapter.
d. Refuse to participate in good faith in any agreed upon impasse procedures or those set forth in this chapter.
e. Violate section 20.12.
f. Violate the provisions of sections 732.1 through 732.3, which are hereby made applicable to public employers, public employees, and employee organizations.
g. Picket in a manner which interferes with ingress and egress to the facilities of the public employer.
h. Engage in, initiate, sponsor, or support any picketing that is performed in support of a strike, work stoppage, boycott, or slowdown against a public employer.
i. Picket for any unlawful purpose.
j. Negotiate or attempt to negotiate directly with a member of the governing board of a public employer if the public employer has appointed or authorized a bargaining representative for the purpose of bargaining with the public employees or their representative, unless the member of the governing board is the designated bargaining representative of the public employer.
4. The expressing of any views, argument, or opinion, or the dissemination thereof, whether orally or in written, printed, graphic, or visual form, shall not constitute or be evidence of any prohibited practice under any of the provisions of this chapter, if such expression contains no threat of reprisal or force or promise of benefit.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.10]
2010 Acts, ch 1165, §7 – 13; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §7, 26, 27; 2021 Acts, ch 80, §10
Referred to in §20.11
For provisions relating to applicability of 2017 amendment to collective bargaining agreements and procedures under this chapter before, on, or after February 17, 2017, see
2017 Acts, ch 2, §26, 27