The United Auto Workers and the Iowa Democratic Party are involved in a spat which would appear on its face to be counter productive to both.

The UAW has closed its halls to local Democrat activities and ceased contributions to the Iowa Democratic Party over legislative Democrats' failure to pass a "fair share" bill on the payment of union dues.

UAW leaders feel the Democrats have reneged in a 2006 campaign promise to get the bill passed.

"Our members took the action that they would not give the Democratic Party money in the state of Iowa, nor would they allow the party to use their union halls until the leadership of the Democratic Party lived up to their commitments," UAW Region 4 director Dennis Williams said.

That's a big deal in Waterloo, since UAW Local 838, with 2,700 members, most of them John Deere workers, is the largest UAW local in Iowa. It's a hot button issue with some union members irritated at so-called "free riders" who, they say, enjoy the benefits of a union contract without paying the appropriate costs of negotiating that contract. UAW officials estimate about 10 percent of its Iowa members are "free riders."

Whatever assurances were made, proponents of "fair share" in the Iowa Legislature found the issue to be a thorny one.

Others in the state - most notably, business interests - felt that the bill, as drafted, flew in the face of Iowa's tradition as an open shop or "right to work" state, where union membership is not required for employment.

The bill passed the Senate but never made it to the floor of the House.

Williams notes that his union's members are not "anti-Democratic Party." The halls are still open to Democrat presidential candidates, members of Congress and Gov. Chet Culver.

And the UAW has held out an olive branch. Williams has assigned assistant regional director Dennis Kinard, formerly of Cedar Falls, a former UAW Local 838 shop chairman and Waterloo-based international representative, to meet with UAW-retiree legislators - including State Sen. Bill Dotzler of Waterloo and State Rep Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls - in an attempt to resolve differences.

Dotzler, for one, is hoping for a resolution.

"It's a misunderstanding that is pretty frustrating, and I hope will get worked out in the near future, and I'm confident it will," Dotzler said. "All you have to do is look at the record Democrats have for standing up for working men and women."

Dotzler said of a renewed 'fair share' effort in 2008: "I'm happy to vote for it. I ran the bill in the Senate and I'd be more than happy to do that again. But I've got other priorities out there…We have other issues in Iowa that are going to affect the work force far more," such as making sure workers "have the skill sets to match the jobs of the 21st century."

Dotzler suggested the fair share proposal is a "wedge" issue that could cause hard feelings that would impede progress on other issues.

Many may not agree with the sentiment that the Democrats have a monopoly on concern for working people. But we do agree with Dotzler that job training and related work force development issues should take precedence. More people having an equal opportunity to a skilled job benefits everyone - union and nonunion alike.

The UAW has made its point and sent its message on the "fair share" issue. Both it and local Democrats want to resolve the matter. It makes little sense for traditional allies like the UAW and the Iowa Democratic Party to prolong this situation.