Union representatives praise district bargaining process but say members faced harassment during election season

A representative speaking for district employee unions told the Bettendorf Community School District board that a collaborative bargaining process (IBPS) has produced constructive results but that union members experienced harassment during the election season.

The union representative described the IBPS team as a cross-stakeholder group that helped participants see how requests affect multiple employee groups. "Our purpose has never been to divide," the speaker said, adding that the process emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and a focus on student outcomes.

The speaker also recounted that "members received aggressive messages and phone calls" and said some were pressured about how they intended to vote or because of union recommendations. "It is okay to disagree. It is not okay to harass other people for their beliefs," the speaker said.

Administrators and board members described the IBPS approach as a multi-year effort that has increased communication among groups and improved the district’s ability to weigh trade-offs during bargaining. The superintendent (name given elsewhere in the transcript) and administrators said the district has invested time in the process over two years and that only one other Iowa district uses the same approach, according to the union speaker.

What’s next: the board did not record any formal disciplinary measures or investigations in response to the harassment claim during this meeting; the union called for continued respectful engagement and for the district to continue the collaborative process.