(Radio Iowa) — The Reynolds administration had made its initial contract proposal to the union which represents some 20-thousand state employees. The state is offering a one percent across the board increase in pay for each of the next two years to workers covered by the AFSCME Council 61 contract. The union asked for a three percent increase for each of the next two years in its initial proposal. They union also asked the state to return to contract language that was in place prior to the new collective bargaining law which restricts the issues covered by the bargaining process. Union president Danny Homan issued a statement in response to the administration offer saying they asked for a fair contract not one that makes a “mockery of state employment.”