Merit raises and other perks will pump up Iowa's state employee salaries by an average of 4.3 percent in the fiscal year that begins today, despite the largest unions agreeing to a 0 percent across-the-board salary increase. ….. The president of the state's largest union invited the Hiawatha representative and his Republican peers to guard dangerous criminals while "having (urine) thrown at them" from insane inmates at the state penitentiary before they complain about the step increases for state workers.  "All some do is try to drag down state employees," said Danny Homan, president of Iowa Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "State employees stepped up to the plate and took a wage freeze. What more do you want us to do? Commit hari-kari?"