Iowa Worker’s Almanac news briefs for Sept. 24, 2026:
- After an accidental fire at AgriStar in Postville, 400 workers—around two-thirds of the former staff—have been rehired. (Which also means around 200 are still without jobs.)
- Iowa City needs affordable housing. So this guy decided to do something about it.
- Marshalltown is hosting a bricklaying competition next week.
- In 1965, CEO pay was 21 times higher than the average worker. In 2025, it was 325 times higher.
- Around 43% of Americans who work in the private sector saw their real wages decline between 2021 and 2024.
- Not even making the minimum? Minimum wage theft hit a record high in 2025, where 5.8 million Americans were shortchanged on wages.
- It’s not just those insured under the Affordable Care Act; people with health insurance through their work are also likely to see increases in premiums or deductibles next year.
- The interest rate was recently raised by a quarter of a percentage, but you’ll notice it if you’re borrowing money, like buying a car or using a credit card.
- Are deportations raising our wages and creating jobs? Cause I was told they would, but apparently it’s the opposite.
- Bank where you mail: Around 100 million Americans, or 28% of the population, don’t have access to affordable banking. Is the restoration of Postal Banking a solution?
- CVS pharmacists are ready to strike in three states, as understaffing and low pay hamper their ability to get patients the critical medications in a timely manner.
- Walmart has its first union, and a two-year contract, in Canada.
- Won a union: Seixty-eight full- and part-time fixture, X-ray, layout, and laboratory workers at Wellman in Creston (WDC Acquisition) voted 54-2 to unionize with IAM District 6.
- There has been movement in the last month on the unionization vote challenge of nearly 2,000 nurses at UnityPoint-Des Moines‘ four hospitals, with some celebrating the union’s victory, but nothing definitive yet from the NLRB.
Upcoming layoffs:
All information taken from Iowa Workforce Development’s WARN Act website. Read WARN Act and Iowa WARN Act criteria here.
- CNH Industrial in Burlington is laying off:
13 workers by Friday
5 workers by Dec. 31
Read more here. - People First Sanitation in Sioux City is laying off 54 workers by Friday.
- NFI Interactive Logistics in Cedar Rapids is closing and laying off 49 workers by Sept. 30. Read more here.
- RTX in Cedar Rapids is laying off:
2 workers by Sept. 30
1 worker by Oct. 30 - Great Southern Bank is closing two Iowa locations by Oct. 1 and laying off:
5 workers in Ankeny
4 workers in Pleasant Hill
Read more from the company here. - Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off:
7 workers by Oct. 3
14 workers by Oct. 17
5 workers by Oct. 31
35 workers by Nov. 14
Read more here. - Lund Food Holdings in Lake Mills is closing and laying off 23 workers by Oct. 9. Read more here.
