IBEW STATE CONFERENCE CALLS ON GOVERNOR REYNOLDS TO VETO SF 603

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Iowa State Conference and its more than 10,000 skilled tradesmen and women statewide are imploring Governor Reynolds to veto SF 603 after an amendment which undercuts Iowa’s highly successful apprenticeship programs and strips local governments of their ability to ensure high-quality, safe construction work was adopted without a single public hearing.

Iowa has long been a leader in skilled workforce development and training, with a proven track record of apprenticeship programs that provide hands-on training and a pipeline to good-paying jobs. But SF 603 changes the rules, allowing out-of-state developers and unqualified contractors to undercut hardworking Iowans, winning bids based solely on the lowest cost rather than the highest standards. This is not only a direct attack on skilled labor but also a reckless gamble with taxpayer dollars and public safety.

Why should Governor Reynolds veto SF 603?

• Protecting Local Control – SF 603 takes power away from Iowa’s local governments and school districts, stripping them of the ability to set workforce training standards for their own taxpayer-funded projects. If local leaders want to require apprenticeship-trained workers for safety and quality, they should have that right.
• Defending Iowa Jobs – This bill rewards out-of-state, low-wage contractors at the expense of skilled Iowans—union and non-union alike—who have invested in proper training and certification to ensure the highest-quality work.
• Safeguarding Taxpayer Investments – Weakening construction standards leads to unsafe and subpar work, costing taxpayers even more when projects need costly repairs or rebuilds just years after completion. A race to the bottom in construction quality benefits no one.
• Protecting Federal Funding – Many local projects depend on federal incentives which require strong apprenticeship and training standards. SF 603 could jeopardize millions in federal funding for Iowa’s local governments by ignoring these requirements.

“The last-minute push to gut Iowa’s apprenticeship standards is just another attack on working Iowans,” said Matt Resor, President of the IBEW Iowa State Conference. “Since 2017, we’ve seen public sector bargaining rights stripped, unemployment benefits slashed, and project labor agreements banned. Now, SF 603 undermines the very training programs that Governor Reynolds has publicly supported. This isn’t about fairness or economic growth—it’s about handing over Iowa jobs to out-of-state, low-bid contractors with no accountability.”

“Governor Reynolds has long championed workforce development and skilled training as key to Iowa’s future. We urge her to stand by those commitments and veto SF 603. Quality work requires quality training, and Iowa taxpayers deserve better than a bill that puts safety and local jobs at risk” said Resor.

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