Welcome to Thursday’s Almanac, for and about Iowa’s workers.
If break time’s over, here’s the tl;dr:
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“More private schools, less healthcare, lower wages—we’ve already been headed in this direction as a state. I think it’s time to try something different.”
That’s Charlie Wishman, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization for many of Iowa’s unions.
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Every election year, the organization’s members endorse a slate of candidates. This year, that includes the high-profile Iowa governor’s race. I wanted to find out why they chose who they did.
“It’s been a long time since we could actually have a sit-down conversation with somebody and feel like we’re not getting the runaround,” Wishman told me.
It’s this week’s top story.
Do you agree with him? Reply and tell me.
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Amie Rivers
Newsletter Editor, Iowa Starting Line
Member, COURIER United (WGA East)
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Iowa’s 3rd District has shifted to Lean Democratic, and state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott says lifelong Republicans are considering crossing the aisle. In a new Gloves Off interview with COURIER founder Tara McGowan, she discusses her race against Rep. Zach Nunn, rising costs, healthcare cuts, and the Epstein files.
🎧 Listen now →
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Your thoughts about voting could inspire someone else. Tell us what’s motivating you in a short, selfie-style video, and we may feature it in our newsletter or on social.*
Tell us why you’re voting →
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Charlie Wishman also has some thoughts on attorney general candidate Nate Willems’ proposed wage theft enforcement unit.
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Here’s a look at where gas prices are in Iowa today.
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Funny how they can find $8 billion in bail-out money for farmers right before the election!
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The story of Fatou Traore of Iowa City, who was deported to Sierra Leone and fears deportation to her home country of Ivory Coast, is going national. But she’s still imprisoned in a Sierra Leone hotel, and said she worries she could be taken from there to Ivory Coast and killed.
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More workers in TPS limbo: Besides workers from El Salvador, Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders are now also awaiting news on whether they can keep working legally or not—and Venezuelan workers now officially have their TPS revoked by the administration. “As we continue to hear about workers with TPS being fired, Iowa MMJ calls on Congress to fix the problem it has perpetuated,” the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice said in a statement this week.
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They battled anti-union consultants and won: Here’s how 69 workers at aerospace-grade casting manufacturer Wellman Dynamics in Creston won their union.
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We can’t afford to live like this: Around 60% of Americans don’t make enough income for the life they want, while 53% of us don’t have emergency money for three months if we lost our jobs, according to a new survey from Pew Research. And it doesn’t get better for older folks: 20% of Americans over age 50 have no retirement savings.
- What’s the answer to private equity swallowing up everything? Maybe a federation of worker co-ops?
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A Working Families Roundtable was in Ankeny last week, with candidates from state and county offices taking questions. Watch Bleeding Heartland’s video here.
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UAW President Shawn Fain, who led workers through the Stand-Up Strikes of 2023 and has been organizing new unions across the nation, was just re-elected by UAW workers.
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RTX in Cedar Rapids is laying off 1 worker by Oct. 30.
- Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off:
5 workers by Oct. 31
35 workers by Nov. 14
10 workers by Nov. 28
2 workers by Dec. 12
Read more here.
- Winnebago Industries in Forest City is laying off:
51 workers by Nov. 9
27 workers by Nov. 30
- Cambridge Investment Research in Fairfield is laying off 33 workers by Nov. 11. Read more here.
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Carry On Trailer in Missouri Valley is closing and laying off 79 workers by Nov. 29. Read more here.
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Would you pass this newsletter along to your fellow workers?
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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Rivers. It was edited by Paula Solis.
Iowa Starting Line is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.
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