News for Iowa’s working class, July 2, 2026:
- Kraft-Heinz Davenport workers deserve a chance at getting pension credit they’re owed, a judge ruled last week. “Iowa workers just won,” said Nate Willems, who represented the UFCW Local 431 workers in the suit. Willems is running for Iowa Attorney General.
- A class action lawsuit was filed last week against Hy-Vee, arguing that the grocery store chain treated salaried managers like hourly ones—but didn’t pay them overtime like hourly workers.
- The US’s wheat crop is in bad shape this year, and unless you’re gluten-free, that’s gonna affect your grocery bill soon.
- Iowa is one of three states where the gross domestic product (GDP) is tanking, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. “After a decade of one-party rule, where has it gotten us? A trailing economy that isn’t growing, some of the lowest wages in the country, and layoffs stacking up,” said Rob Sand, the Democratic candidate for governor.
- Trump’s ill-advised war with Iran has erased any wage growth Americans had over the past year and a half, according to EPI.
- Union news: Seven full- and part-time and PRN registered nurses at Bettendorf Health Care Center filed for the right to vote on whether or not to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 431.
- Won a union: Fifteen workers at Mydatt Services, aka Block by Block in Iowa City, voted 8-5 to unionize with Teamsters Local 238. // Eighteen full- and part-time maintenance workers at Fair Oaks Foods in Davenport voted 11-2 to unionize with UFCW Local 431.
- Decertified a union: One hundred ninety-seven full-time, part-time, and PRN nurses with UnityPoint – St. Luke’s in Sioux City voted June 18, 71-80, to decertify their union, United Food and Commercial Workers.
Upcoming layoffs, July 2-Aug. 2:
All information taken from Iowa Workforce Development’s WARN Act website. Read WARN Act and Iowa WARN Act criteria here.
- Whirlpool in Amana is laying off 288 workers by Sunday. Read more here.
- Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off:
29 workers by July 11,
one worker by July 25, and
43 workers by Aug. 22.
Read more here. - Ryder Systems in Waterloo is laying off 153 workers by July 24, with workers told they can apply to work for the new company, HODGE. Read more here.
- UnityPoint Health is laying off 203 workers statewide by July 24:
1 worker at UnityPoint Clinic Multi-Specialty in Cedar Rapids,
3 workers at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines,
19 workers at Accountable Care in Des Moines,
76 workers at UnityPoint Health Thornton in Des Moines,
2 workers at Finley in Dubuque,
1 worker at Trinity Pain Management Center in Fort Dodge,
1 worker at Accendra Health in Grimes,
97 workers at Proxy Access in Hiawatha,
1 worker at Marshalltown Hospital in Marshalltown,
1 worker at St. Luke’s in Sioux City, and
1 worker at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Read more here. - US Cellular offices within Appliance Plus Cellular stores are closing and laying off 35 workers statewide by July 31:
5 workers in Algona,
5 workers in Charles City,
5 workers in Dyersville,
5 workers in Independence,
3 workers in New Hampton,
4 workers in Oelwein,
1 worker in Waukon,
3 workers in Webster City, and
4 workers in West Union. Read more here.
