Read issue 013 »
When lawmakers start making proposals to loosen your state’s child labor laws, it might be time to ask, “How did we get here?” In this issue, Little Village explores the state of labor in Iowa, from recent strikes and freshly filed union petitions to century-old struggles for fair wages, reasonable hours and a voice for workers on the job. Meet the baristas behind Iowa’s first and only worker-owned coffee shop; the production crew aspiring for better conditions backstage through IATSE; your fundamental rights as a worker, explained by University of Iowa Law professor César Rosado Marzán (in Spanish and English); and the complicated legacy of a massive strike by pearl button makers in Muscatine, 112 years ago.
Also in this issue: A National Geographic photographer gets up close with bees, jellyfish and parasites, and roots rocker River Glen recalls his upbringing in a family band — and the career that led to him wrangling 150 fellow Iowa musicians for an upcoming album. Plus: Matt Steele remembers friend, former Little Village delivery driver and patron of local artists Trevor Lee Hopkins (1975-2003).
Cover by Ally Frame.
