03 Jul 2015

Iowa Federation of Labor Response to Obama's Overtime proposal

By Lance Coles
"American workers are more productive than ever, working longer hours and still they are not getting ahead." Said Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. "Updating the federal overtime regulations is a significant step the President can take today to raise the wages of working people."

The Iowa Federation of Labor, strongly supports the proposed changes in the overtime eligibility rules to restore the overtime protection workers have lost to inflation since 1975.

Under federal overtime regulations, workers who earn less than a certain salary level are generally entitled to overtime protection.  The last regular adjustment to the salary level was made by President Ford in 1975. No further adjustments were made for the next 29 years.

The current federal threshold for overtime is $455 per week?or $23,660 per year.  To simply make up for inflation, it should be raised to $51,168. Many workers who would benefit from restored overtime protection are employees at banks, Walmart, and fast food restaurants. Insurance clerks, secretaries, low-level managers, social workers, bookkeepers, dispatchers, sales and marketing assistants and employees in scores of other occupations would also benefit.

The Iowa Federation of Labor: representing the interests of nearly a quarter of a million Iowans who make Iowa work.

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29 Jun 2015

Iowa Federation of Labor has not endorsed any candidates

By Lance Coles

Contrary to a newspaper article printed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the Iowa Federation of Labor (IFL) has not endorsed and will not endorse candidate Sanders or any other presidential candidate.  The Iowa Federation of Labor has no authority to endorse presidential candidates at all.

The "Union Leaders" quoted and identified in this news article do not speak for the members of the Iowa Federation of Labor or the AFL-CIO.

Their comments can be taken as their opinions and their intentions to be addressed at the convention.

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29 Apr 2015

Working Families Summit

By Lance Coles

Presidential Issues, No Candidates Necessary ? for Now

Summit Goal: Wage, Justice Issues Should Shape Coming Iowa Campaign

Who says you need presidential candidates to talk political issues in Iowa?

Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich will keynote a Working Families Summit scheduled for Saturday, May 16, in Ames.

The event, coordinated by several progressive, labor and advocacy organizations, is free and open to the public ? though space will be limited and reservations are required.

"Remember, candidates and ultimately presidents work for us," said Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, a leading sponsor of the May 16 event in Ames.

"Our Working Families Summit is designed to bring together progressive Iowans and progressive ideas, so more Iowans and political candidates at all levels better understand the issues that are critical to working families.

"This is especially important with a presidential campaign already underway in our state, and big choices ahead in 2016 up and down the ballot."

The Summit will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scheman Building at Iowa State University, with morning remarks from Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA); Sarita Gupta, executive director of Jobs with Justice; and Tefere Gebre, executive vice president, AFL-CIO.

Breakout sessions will focus on many hot-button topics for working families: wages, work supports such as child care and paid medical leave, retirement, education, civil rights and current political attacks on workers.

The event will close with Reich's keynote and remarks by Sagar.

"Iowans will have plenty of time between now and next February to meet with and hear from candidates for president," Sagar said. "What we need now is a common agenda on issues ranging from our low wages, to how to better support families and protect civil rights."

No presidential candidates will be speaking at the event ? though any are welcome to attend.

"This will be a great opportunity for presidential candidates to hear the concerns about concrete issues facing Iowa's working families," Sagar said.

Sponsors include the AFL-CIO along with many Iowa labor and advocacy organizations focused on concerns for working families in Iowa: Iowa Federation of Labor; AFSCME Iowa Council 61; Iowa Building and Trades Council; Communications Workers of America (CWA), Iowa Postal Workers Union (APWU), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN), Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Laborers International Union of Northern America (LIUNA), Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), Progress Iowa, Iowa Policy Project, Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, Iowa Community Action Association, American Friends Service Committee, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, Move On, United Auto Workers (UAW), Working America, AFGE, UFCW, UAW, APWU Local 44, IUPAT, NALC, IBEW, USW, IAMAW, UE, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Mid-Iowa Community Action, and Make it Work.

Members of the public are welcome and admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable food items is requested. To register for the summit, go to progressiowa.org/workingfamiliessummit, and for more information, visit the Working Families Summit page on Facebook.

Free round-trip bus service to the event is available from the Quad-Cities, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Manchester and Evansdale. To reserve a bus seat, call 309-738-3196 or email tracy@iowaaflcio.org.

 

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28 Apr 2015

Worker's Memorial Day Events around Iowa

By Lance Coles

Safe Jobs save lives, keep the promise alive

Cedar Rapids: April 28, 5:30 pm. IBEW Local 405 Hall, 1211 Wiley Blvd SW. Speakers: Kelly Steinke, President of Hawkeye Labor Council; Paul Iversen, University of Iowa Labor Center and Liz Mathis, Iowa State Senator. Sponsored by the Hawkeye Labor Council.  Rick Moyle rmoyle@hawkeyelabor.us or 319-396-8461

Clinton: April 28, 1 pm. Clinton Riverview RV Park (9th ave. north at the beginning of the dike). Speakers: Congressman Dave Loebsack; State Senator Rita Hart; State Representative Mary Wolfe, Clinton City Council, Mayor, Fire Chief and Police Chief have also been invited. Contact Dave Keefer 309-788-4569 or dkeefer@lu25.org.

Des Moines: April 28, 11 am. West Capitol Terrace (west side of Capitol, near Historical Building). Speakers: Commissioner Michael Mauro (Iowa Division of Labor); Director Beth Townsend (Iowa Workforce Development); and Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO. Sponsored by the South Central Iowa Federation of Labor. Contact Mark Cooper 515-265-1862 or mark@scifl.org

Dubuque: April 28, 5:30 pm, at the Labor Temple (1610 Garfield). Speaker: Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Bruce Clark, President of the Dubuque Federation of Labor. Dubuque Fire Fife and Drums, UAW Color Guard. Mark Cook steel1861@qwestoffice.net or 563-590-8749

Fort Madison/Keokuk: We hung wreathes that said Hero at both Keokuk and Fort Madison Halls then we surrounded them with names of everyone who died to honor them. Contact Gary Mortimer, 319-670-1103 or garydalemo@hotmail.com.

Iowa City: April 28, 12:30 pm at the Iowa City Ped Mall. (Fountain Plaza) Ceremony. Contact Jesse Case, 319-361-3212 or jcase@iowalabor.com.

Quad Cities: April 28, 11:30 am. USW Local 105 Union Hall, 880 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf, IA.  Sponsored by the Quad Cities Federation of Labor. Contact Joshua Schipp 309-738-6536 or schipp.joshua@gmail.com.

Sioux City: Northwest Iowa labor council will have an event at the UFCW local 222 hall at 7:00 pm. Mac Smith will be speaking. Contact Rick Scott, 712-898-4915 or atulocal779@gmail.com

Waterloo: April 28, 5:30 pm. Black Hawk Labor Temple, 1695 Burton Ave. Waterloo. Charlie Wishman, Secretary/Treasurer Iowa Federation of Labor, and others, will speak at the event. There will be other activities to honor those killed on the job.

01 Apr 2015

Reich to headline Working Families Summit in Ames

By Lance Coles

Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich will keynote a Working Families Summit scheduled for May 16 in Ames.

National labor leaders also will speak, including Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), others to be announced.

The summit is designed to put higher wages and other working family issues in the forefront of public debate in advance of the 2016 Iowa precinct caucuses.

"We can help to shape the presidential debate for 2016 to focus more on issues related to working families," said Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

"I want to see broader understanding of the number of issues from raising wages, to supporting families, to protecting civil rights, so that we all understand each other's issues and can support each other."

While the event will be promoting critical issues for the presidential campaign, no presidential candidates will be speaking at the event ? though all are welcome to attend.

"This will be a great opportunity for presidential candidates to hear the concerns about concrete issues facing Iowa's working families," Sagar said.

The summit will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus. More information about the agenda and arrangements will be provided in the coming weeks.

Sponsors so far include : the AFL-CIO along with many Iowa labor and advocacy organizations focused on concerns for working families in Iowa: the Iowa Federation of Labor; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Communications Workers of America (CWA); Iowa Postal Workers Union (APWU); Progress Iowa, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Iowa State Education Association (ISEA); Iowa Citizens Action Network (ICAN); Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Laborers International Union of Northern America (LIUNA); Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA); Iowa Policy Project; Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa; Iowa Community Action Association; and the American Friends Service Committee.

Members of the public are welcome.

Facebook Page - Working Families Summit

http://progressiowa.org/sections/progress-report/551467d275c9a121d7000003

 

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01 Apr 2015

Raise the Wage Iowa Held Statewide Day of Action on Tuesday, March 31st

By Lance Coles

Des Moines, IA -- Raise the Wage Iowa, a coalition of small business owners, faith leaders, as well as labor and community organizations, will rally to raise the minimum wage on Tuesday, March 31st, at 5 events across the state of Iowa. Events will begin in Des Moines at the state capitol, continue in the home districts of the 'Terrible Trio' in the Iowa House who are blocking a minimum wage increase.

The Iowa Senate passed a bipartisan compromise minimum wage increase last month, but Speaker of the House Kraig Paulsen, Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, and Labor Committee Chair Greg Forristall have not allowed it for a vote in the Iowa House. If the legislation does not move forward by Friday, April 3rd, it will not survive the legislative 'funnel' and working Iowans will have to wait at least one more year for a raise.

Next Tuesday's statewide day of action will call on the 'Terrible Trio' of Paulsen, Upmeyer, and Forristall to allow a vote on a minimum wage increase. Iowa is falling behind our neighboring states in wage growth, and we cannot afford to wait any longer!

Event Details - Tuesday, March 31st

 

9:30 AM Kick-Off Press Conference at the Capitol

Iowa State Capitol, Room 116

1007 East Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa

Speakers:

Sue Dinsdale, Iowa Citizen Action Network, Matt Sinovic, Progress Iowa, Chris Schwartz, Americans for Democratic Action.

 

2:30 PM Press Conference in Clear Lake, Majority Leader Upmeyer's hometown

LOCATION: Lakeview Community Center, 10 N Lakeview Drive, Clear Lake

Speakers: Chris Petersen, Iowa Main Street Alliance; Sue Dinsdale, Iowa Citizen Action Network and Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans

 

 

4:30 PM Press Conference in Hiawatha, Speaker Paulsen's hometown

Hiawatha Public Library , 150 Willman St, Hiawatha Iowa

Speaker: Rick Moyle , Hawkeye Labor Council AFL/CIO & Mike Owen Iowa policy Project

 

12:00 PM Press Conference in Macedonia, Rep. Forristall's hometown

US Post Office, 319 Main St, Macedonia, Iowa

Speaker: Matt Sinovic, Progress Iowa

 

5:00 PM Rock the Wage Front Porch Concert

1105 Mulberry St, Waterloo, Iowa

Speaker: Chris Schwartz, Americans for Democratic Action

Band: False Indigo

 

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS in RAISE THE WAGE IOWA:

 

AFSCME Iowa Council 61

American Friends Service Committee

Americans for Democratic Action

Des Moines Education Association

Food & Water Watch

Hawkeye labor Council AFL/CIO

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund

Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans

Iowa Citizen Action Network

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund

Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Iowa Community Action Association

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL/CIO

Iowa Main Street Alliance

Iowa State Education Association

Methodist Federation for Social Action, Iowa Chapter

Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa

Progress Iowa

RESULTS

SEIU Iowa - Local 199

South Central Federation of Labor, AFL/CIO

UNI Americans for Democratic Action

09 Mar 2015

Iowa Workers to Scott Walker: Union Members are Patriots, not Terrorists

By Lance Coles

As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker makes his first appearances in Iowa after making comments at CPAC comparing union members protesting his policies to ISIS, Iowa workers are speaking up and demanding an apology.  While Scott Walker fundraises in Dubuque, workers will speak out to demand an apology for Walker's unpatriotic remarks at a press conference in front of the Hotel Julien, at 6 pm on Saturday March 7.

Gov. Walker owes the workers of Wisconsin, Iowa and the entire United States an apology.  We are not ISIS. The hundreds of thousands of students, workers, veterans, grandmothers, aunts and uncles and children who came to Madison to stand together for worker rights are not terrorists. It is offensive to compare firefighters, police, nurses, teachers and construction workers with murderous terrorists.

To compare hard-working men and women who work for a living to terrorists is a disgrace. Coming together to peacefully protest for union rights and a better Wisconsin is not an act of terror. Iowans are offended by a candidate who would run for president by denigrating the working people in his home state. The working people who serve our country overseas and who make our country work are the real patriots and deserve better from a man who wants to be Commander in Chief.

17 Nov 2014

U.S. Postal Service is poised to make devastating cuts in service

By Lance Coles

DATELINE -- Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe and the USPS Board of Governors, the board that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, are poised to make devastating cuts in service to the American people - cuts so severe that they would forever damage the U.S. Postal Service.

·       On Jan. 5, the USPS is slated to lower "service standards" to virtually eliminate overnight delivery - including first-class mail from one address to another within the same city or town.

·       All mail (medicine, online purchases, local newspapers, newsletters of religious organizations, bill payments, letters and invitations) throughout the country would be delayed.

·       Our entire community would lose business opportunities associated with ecommerce, which relies on the speedy delivery of goods ordered online.

·       Beginning Jan. 5, 82 Mail Processing & Distribution Centers are scheduled to close.

 

 

The cuts would cause hardships for the public and small businesses, eliminate jobs, and destroy the world's most efficient and affordable delivery network by driving away mail and revenue. They are part of the same flawed strategy that's behind efforts to end Saturday and door-to-door deliveries, cut back post office hours, and make other reductions in mail service.

The travesty is that the cuts are absolutely unnecessary - because postal operations are profitable. The Postal Service, which isn't funded by taxpayers, has earned an operating profit so far this year of more than $1 billion. For four years running, its finances have been improving.

And, while revenue from First Class Mail has been declining, package delivery, largely due to the growth of e-commerce has been rapidly expanding.

There is red ink, but it stems from political interference, not from the mail. In 2006, a lame-duck Congress mandated that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health benefits 75 years in advance - something no other public agency or private firm is required to do. That costs the Postal Service $5.6 billion a year - and that's the red ink.

Fifty-one senators and 160 House members have called for a one-year moratorium on the reduction in service and the closure of the mail processing centers to allow Congress time to enact postal legislation that would improve, not degrade, postal service. The Postmaster General and USPS Board of Governors should honor their request.

For more information, visit www.StopMailDelays.org.

 

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05 Nov 2014

Midterm Elections Show Money Trumps Democracy

By Lance Coles
The 2014 Midterm elections will go down as the most expensive in American history, and it was clear that money won.

"We ran a robust program, talked to tens of thousands of union members, retirees and households, but we were not able to compete with all the money the Koch Brothers and others poured into this election." Said Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor. "Clearly we are disappointed in that the 1% have purchased the outcome."

Unions all over Iowa made contact with over 100,000 Iowans, called many thousands more, sent mail to educate members on the stands of the candidates, yet all the negative advertisements appear to have turned even more voters away from the polls.

"I want to thank all the Iowans who took the time from their busy schedules to take time to vote. Iowans have made their choice." said Sagar. "We will continue to work to promote legislation to help working Iowans.  I also want to thank all our volunteers that helped with labor 2014."

The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO looks forward to working with all elected candidates.

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31 Oct 2014

Iowa AFL-CIO REACHING THOUSANDS THROUGH ON THE GROUND EFFORTS

By Lance Coles

Union members turning out the vote to protect important issues

Des Moines - Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, announced today that their program, which began in August, is well on track to complete over hundreds of volunteer shifts and reached over tens of thousands of voters before election day.

"This election is very important to our members. We are running a great program and our brothers and sisters knocking on doors all over Iowa, are making the difference," said Sagar. "Iowa is a very important state and we are doing everything we can to get our labor endorsed candidates elected."

"Our staff and volunteers are walking neighborhoods and talking to voters one-on-one about our issues," said Charlie Wishman Secretary/Treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO. "We care about all Iowa working families and we are working hard to encourage union members to exercise their right to vote. "

Iowa AFL-CIO volunteers across the state say that most people they talk with know how important this election is for Iowa's working families.

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