(September 1, 2025) Labor Day is more than a holiday, it’s a reminder of generations of Iowans who fought for fair pay, safe workplaces, and dignity on the job. This past year since the last Labor Day, everyday workers carried that fight forward with new contracts, organizing drives, and successful picket lines despite efforts by Iowa Republicans to weaken unions.
Last fall, Teamsters at Cargill’s Cedar Rapids plant held the line for nearly a month and ratified a new contract on Halloween. In April, more than 100 Keurig Dr Pepper workers in Ottumwa held a 12-day strike and won an agreement that delivered an 8 percent raise, improved health insurance, and guaranteed paid time off. August brought another victory when Teamsters at the Kemps Dairy plant in Le Mars walked out over safety and pay concerns, reaching an agreement that workers approved just days later.
Momentum carried beyond picket lines. Nurses at UnityPoint’s Methodist, Lutheran, Blank, and West hospitals launched a union drive with Teamsters Local 90, citing unsafe staffing and the need to protect patient care. Over 2,000 nurses signed cards to authorize union representation, a campaign that quickly became one of the largest in Iowa in decades.
In Corning, electricians at the Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative voted to join IBEW Local 55, adding to a wave of new organizing.
In August, baristas at the Merle Hay Starbucks in Des Moines voted to unionize, the first in the metro area. They joined earlier victories in Iowa City, Davenport, and Bettendorf, proving that even small workplaces are part of Iowa’s labor revival.
Each of these examples tells the same story: everyday Iowans standing together and making real gains.
The recent historical backdrop has been hostile. In 2017, Republicans passed one of the most restrictive public-sector bargaining laws in the country, stripping most government workers of the ability to negotiate over anything but base pay and forcing unions into constant recertification elections.
The attacks continued this year. Senate File 472 would have allowed courts to compel public employers to turn over employee lists for recertification purposes. Labor leaders warned it was designed to make the process even harder. The bill cleared the Senate but stalled in the House Judiciary Committee and never became law, an important procedural win for workers.
Another bill targeting Iowa workers did pass. Senate File 603, signed into law in March, blocks state and local governments from requiring apprenticeship or training standards in public construction contracts. Union leaders warn it will undercut Iowa tradespeople by letting low-road contractors bypass apprenticeship programs, driving down wages and increasing the risk of poor-quality, unsafe construction across the state.
The past year tells of two Iowas: one where workers from Cedar Rapids to Ottumwa to the nurses organizing in Des Moines, are building power and winning real improvements in their workplaces, and another where Republicans remain determined to dismantle hard-won labor rights. On this Labor Day, the record is clear. Despite the obstacles, everyday Iowa workers had a strong year.
Sources
“Union ratifies new contract with Cargill, ending Cedar Rapids strike.” The Gazette, Oct. 31, 2024.
“Ottumwa Keurig Dr Pepper workers, Teamsters reach agreement, end strike.” Vending Times, Apr. 25, 2025.
“Teamsters strike is over at Kemps plant in Le Mars.” Radio Iowa, Aug. 24, 2025.
“Nurses at UnityPoint Health Des Moines hospitals call for union recognition.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, Aug. 20, 2025.
“Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative workers vote unanimously to unionize.” Iowa Starting Line, Aug. 22, 2025.
“Des Moines Starbucks becomes first to unionize in metro.” We Are Iowa, Aug. 13, 2025.
“Bill on public sector union lists clears Senate.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, Mar. 10, 2025.
“Iowa Senate sends bill to governor with new rules on local construction contracts.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, Mar. 19, 2025.
“What passed, what failed and what Gov. Kim Reynolds already signed from the 2025 session.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, May 15, 2025.