Working news you can use, plus Iowa layoffs this month

Approximately 50,000 workers rallied at the State Capitol in Des Moines on April 22, 1947, to protest an Iowa Legislature bill that would implement a right-to-work law in the state. The bill passed into law anyway and has been the law since. Courtesy Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO.

By Amie Rivers

June 18, 2025

Here’s a quick look at the week’s top news affecting Iowa workers and the workplace:

Working news you can use for the week of June 18, 2025:

Tariffs starting to hit: Sales in May have started to slide, At Home has declared bankruptcy, and prices for cars and at garden centers rose now that tariffs are starting to be felt more widely. Oh, and free shipping may be a thing of the past now, too. And President Trump’s goal with the tariffs—bringing manufacturing back to the US—is actually having the opposite effect.
Uber drivers could unionize in Illinois: The Illinois Drivers Alliance are filing a bill in the state legislature allowing Uber drivers to unionize and collectively bargain. It would be the second state, after Massachusetts, to do so if passed. An estimated 100,000 drivers could benefit.
Did Trump really pause immigration raids on farms? The United Farm Workers union says they’re still hearing about raids on California farms. (And they’re right, they have resumed in full force.) “Stop the sweeps on hardworking Californians. Get serious about building a path forward,” UFW said. “Anything else is bullshit.” Learn more about worksite raids and the effects it has on our workforce here.
Correction on union activity: Around 200 general duty registered staff nurses at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center’s two facilities in West Burlington are actually filing an intent to decertify their union with the Communication Workers of America Local 7181.

Upcoming layoffs, per the Iowa WARN website:

Chevron USA/Renewable Energy Group in Ames is laying off 70 workers by today. Read more here.
Hy-Vee Short Cuts Facility in Chariton is closing and laying off 129 workers by Tuesday.
Hy-Vee Fresh Commissary in Ankeny is closing and laying off 332 workers by Tuesday. Read more about both Hy-Vee closures here.
Lutheran Services of Iowa in Des Moines is laying off one worker by June 27.
Accelerate 360 Distribution in nearby Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is laying off 35 workers by June 28. Read more here.
Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off 41 workers by June 29, and 24 workers by July 14.
ASM Global in Dubuque is laying off 160 workers by June 30. Read more here.
Career Systems Development Corporation in Wapello is closing and laying off 92 workers by June 30.
Forte Openings Solutions in Mason City is closing and laying off 93 workers at two locations by June 30. Read more here.
Sodexo in Decorah is closing and laying off 130 workers by June 30. Read more here.
Orient-Macksburg Community School District in Orient is closing and laying off 36 workers by July 1. Read more here.
Collins Aerospace is laying off 131 workers at two locations by July 18: 102 workers in Cedar Rapids and 29 workers in Decorah. Read more here.

This information first appeared in the Iowa Worker’s Almanac, an Iowa Starting Line newsletter. This is a subscriber exclusive.

Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers is Iowa Starting Line's newsletter editor. She writes the weekly Worker’s Almanac edition of Iowa Starting Line, featuring a roundup of the worker news you need to know. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes and getting pet photos in her inbox.

Have a story tip? Reach Amie at [email protected]. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Amie's newsletter.

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CATEGORIES: LABOR

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