Des Moines — Iowa’s workers are being left behind. Repeated cuts to the state’s unemployment system, a lack of workplace safeguards, and the destruction of collective bargaining rights have left workers unprotected. Iowa State Senators Tom Townsend and Molly Donahue have released the following statement regarding Senate Democrats’ plan to re-prioritize working Iowans.
“So far this session, we haven’t seen anything advanced that actually helps working Iowans,” Sen. Tom Townsend (D-Dubuque) said. “This week, we’re releasing a legislative package that brings Iowa’s workers front and center and provides a restoration of rights, safeguards, and benefits to the men and women who make our state run.”
Part of Senate Democrats’ legislative package is SF 147, a bill which would strengthen Iowa’s weak wage theft laws.
“In Iowa, wage theft robs workers of an estimated $900 million every year – more than all other forms of theft combined, affecting 250,000 working Iowans. It’s a silent crisis that harms hardworking Iowans and their families,” Sen. Molly Donahue (D-Marion) said. “That is completely unacceptable. Workers should be paid for their labor, and it is the responsibility of this Legislature to enact stronger protections to prevent this astonishing amount of wage theft in the future.”
Also included in the package are a series of bills (SF 157, SF 358, and SF 372) that address unemployment benefits and burdensome bureaucratic hurdles in the unemployment process.
“Unemployment insurance is a promise we make to Iowa’s workers to protect them during a worst-case scenario resulting in job loss,” Sen. Townsend said. “It is a benefit earned through their labor and the ongoing cuts put workers at greater risk should they lose their jobs. Restoring the cut weeks and eliminating unnecessary job search requirements in specific cases will help prevent further harm to Iowa’s workers should they lose their jobs.”
Finally, Senate Democrats are working to restore collective bargaining rights for public sector employees through SF 263.
“For more than 40 years, employees and employers could sit down and work together on mutually agreeable solutions for the workplace,” Sen. Donahue said. “This legislation will restore employees’ voices and allow for collaborative discussions to address health and safety, employee recruitment and retention, and more.”