20.21 - FACT-FINDING. - Iowa Statutes

20.21 FACT-FINDING. If the impasse persists ten days after the mediator has been appointed, the board shall appoint a fact-finder representative of the public, from a list of qualified persons maintained by the board. The fact-finder shall conduct a hearing, may administer oaths, and may request the board to issue subpoenas. The fact-finder shall make written findings of facts and recommendations for resolution of the dispute and, not later than fifteen days from the day of appointment, shall serve such findings on the public employer and the certified employee organization. The public employer and the certified employee organization shall immediately accept the fact-finder's recommendation or shall within five days submit the fact-finder's recommendations to the governing body and members of the certified employee organization for acceptance or rejection. If the dispute continues ten days after the report is submitted, the report shall be made public by the board. However, the board shall not appoint a fact-finder representative of the public if the public employees represented by a certified employee organization are teachers licensed under chapter 272 and the public employer is a school district or area education agency, or are professional employees and the public employer is a community college. The board shall adopt rules regarding the time period after mediation when binding arbitration procedures must begin for teachers or professional employees exempt from this section.          Section History: Early Form [C75, 77, 79, 81, § 20.21]          Section History: Recent Form 91 Acts, ch 174, §6; 2002 Acts, ch 1047, §1, 20 Referred to in § 20.19