The Iowa state senate voted Monday to approve House File 295, a bill that takes authority from counties and cities and gives it to the state in several areas, including setting a minimum wage.
Minimum wage
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Three public hearings in Des Moines Monday on controversial legislation
The Iowa Legislature will hold three public hearings in Des Moines on Monday to discuss legislation that would impact independent water utilities (namely the Des Moines Water Works), preempt county minimum wage ordinances and create new election regulations, including voter ID. Individuals can sign up to speak or leave a comment by visiting the legislature’s […]
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Preserving higher minimum wage a top priority this week for many in Johnson County
Iowa Policy Project: Facts & Alternatives Old Brick Church — Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. Protecting a higher minimum wage is taking center stage in Johnson County this week, with the Board of Supervisors set to pass a resolution carrying that message, and a legislative forum Friday evening that will outline “action steps” for […]
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Letter to the Editor: Wage increases lead to vibrant communities
by J. E. Ironside I have been an employee advocate for 20 plus years of my life — the first half as a manager of a drugstore, the latter half as a union organizer. I have seen many sides of how wages affect the working man and woman and their families. I’ve known folks who […]
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New year, new wages: Minimum wage increases in Linn and Johnson counties on Jan. 1
Minimum wage workers in Linn and Johnson counties will see increased pay coming January as county-based wage increases take effect. Linn County, which passed a minimum wage ordinance earlier this year, will see the first of three hikes. Come Jan. 1, wages will increase to $8.25 an hour. Additional increases in January 2018 and 2019 […]
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Fight for $15 an hour continues after Tuesday’s national day of disturbance
Thousands of workers marched in the streets of over 340 cities and 20 airports across the country on Tuesday demanding a living wage of $15 an hour and the right to a union during a national day of disturbance. In Iowa, that fight continues. Although a handful of counties have worked to increase the local […]
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Linn County Passes Ordinance Increasing Minimum Wage
Linn County became the second Iowa county to pass a minimum wage ordinance Monday morning. The first wage increase will take effect in January. The ordinance passed 4-1, with Supervisor John Harris the sole opposed vote. Under the ordinance, the minimum hourly wage in Linn County will increase by one dollar each year for the […]
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Minimum wage hike raises questions about equal pay in Johnson County
The town of Tiffin is growing fast. The population was under 2,000 people in 2010, but by 2020 it’s expected to swell to 3,400. Today, there are few jobs for anyone in Tiffin, unless you’re building a housing unit. Next to the high school, developer Jim Glasgow is building more than 200 housing units. He’s […]
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Solon council votes to keep wages at $7.25
Solon City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to opt out of the first-in-the-midwest minimum wage increase last night. Instead of allowing the lowest paid in their town a moderate raise, the council decided to keep their city’s wage floor at the state minimum, opposing the Johnson County ordinance passed last week that will raise the […]
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Second wage hike vote set for Thursday
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed its first reading of the minimum wage ordinance that would be the first of its kind in Iowa. The countywide wage hike would gradually raise the minimum hourly wage to $10.10 per hour by January 1, 2017. After two more votes scheduled for Sept. 3 and 10, […]
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Iowa City residents take to the streets for ‘Raise the Wage’ march
In cities across the country, workers will be marching in the streets today to protest the minimum wage that they say isn’t enough for survival. The Center for…
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Labor advocates gather to discuss plight of food service workers
Food workers and organizers across the spectrum will discuss the challenges of working in the food industry this Saturday…
