Iowa Worker’s Almanac, Sept. 26: Layoffs and news for the working class

This week’s Iowa Worker’s Almanac news briefs:

• Iowa ranks 43rd for teachers: A new WalletHub ranking puts Iowa 43rd of the 50 states and DC for teachers, taking into account opportunity, competition, academic, and work environment. “Iowa schools used to be our state’s crown jewel, so much so that we put ‘Foundation in Education’ on our quarter,” said candidate for governor Rob Sand, who pointed out that Iowa was 12th in this ranking as recently as 2016. “It’s sad to see how far we’ve come since then, and the damage done to our schools, students, and teachers.” A reminder that teachers already make 26% less than similarly educated workers.
• Migrant workers from Texas allege Iowa company trafficked them: Seven migrant farmworkers from Texas are suing Remington Seeds in DeWitt, claiming they were recruited to work for illegally low wages in substandard housing.
• How to help a coworker facing a politicized firing: In the age of keyboard warriors doxxing teachers for saying they don’t like Charlie Kirk, here’s how to show solidarity with coworkers facing the firing squad.
  
• Iowa City union endorsements: The Iowa City Federation of Labor endorsed Shawn Harmsen for Iowa City Council District 3, Bruce Teague and Megan Alter for Iowa City Council At-Large, and Ruthina Malone, Jayne Finch, and Dan Stevenson for Iowa City Community School Board. “At a time when workers’ rights have faced constant attack from our state legislature, it’s more important than ever to elect strong local leaders we can count on to defend workers’ rights and our democracy,” said Scott Punteney, president of the Iowa City Federation.
• Christina Bohannan endorsed by unions: Bohannan, running for Congress in Southeast Iowa’s District 1, was endorsed by the following national unions, according to her campaign: Laborers International Union of North America, International Union of Operating Engineers, Ironworkers Union, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and United Food and Commercial Workers.
• Sarah Trone Garriott endorsement: State Sen. Trone Garriott, running for Congress in Central Iowa’s District 3, was endorsed by Ironworkers Local 67. “I am excited to see the change a strong fighter for workers’ rights can bring to our country,” said Joe Durby, business manager for Ironworkers 67. “For too long, the working class has been ignored by politicians and big government.”
• Congress considers bill to speed up first contracts: The Faster Labor Contracts Act was introduced as a bipartisan bill in both the House and the Senate last week, and has been endorsed by several unions. It would require employers to begin negotiating with newly unionized workers within 10 days, and if no agreement is reached within 90 days, a contract would go to mediation. On average, a first contract can take 465 days. “Far too often, we see companies exploit loopholes to delay getting to a first contract,” said UFCW President Milton Jones.
• 5 million could lose health care: Unless Congress extends federal subsidies, more than 7 million people who buy their health insurance on Affordable Care Act marketplaces would pay much higher premiums next year—and 5 million of them would lose coverage completely.
  
• Should we privatize the VA? The Trump administration wants to, but a new study shows that the existing rural health care crisis means veterans would face even greater barriers to health care if we do.
• Tariffs remain the largest concern for companies, according to a survey of chief financial officers. (Maybe they could stop paying their CEOs more and more?)
• Voting on a union: A total of 1,776 full- and part-time registered nurses and PRNs at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Blank Children’s Hospital, Methodist West Hospital, and Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines vote Oct. 5-7 on whether to unionize with Teamsters Local 90. Sign a petition in support of the effort here, and read more about it as their effort gains national attention here.
• Starting up a union: Fifty full- and part-time workers at River Hills Community Health Center in Ottumwa refiled a petition to unionize Aug. 8 with River Hills United/Teamsters Local 90.

Upcoming layoffs:

All information taken from Iowa Workforce Development’s WARN Act website. Read WARN Act and Iowa WARN Act criteria here.

• Lennox Industries in Marshalltown is laying off 49 workers by Sunday. Read more here.
• The Quad City Times in Davenport is laying off 49 printing press workers by Monday. Read more here.
• Winnebago Industries is closing and continuing to lay off, including one worker in Forest City by Monday, three workers in Forest City by Oct. 10, and 26 workers in Charles City by Dec. 12. Read more here.
• Smurfit Westrock Company in Cedar Rapids is closing and laying off 100 workers by Oct. 4. Read more here.
• Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off 10 workers by Oct. 4, 10 workers by Oct. 18, and 12 workers by Nov. 14.
• Maverik in Des Moines is laying off 100 workers at its corporate headquarters by Oct. 6. Read more here.
• Fox River Mills in Osage is closing, relocating to North Carolina, and laying off 105 workers by Oct. 10. Read more here.
• Burlington Trailways is closing and laying off 79 workers by Oct. 18: 6 workers in Burlington, 5 workers in Cedar Rapids, 13 workers at two locations in Davenport, 8 workers in Des Moines, and 47 workers in West Burlington. Read more here.
• John Deere in Waterloo is laying off 101 workers at the East Donald Street site by Oct. 20. Read more here.
• Fellers in Urbandale is closing and laying off one worker by Oct. 24.