Center will need to be totally self-sufficient within four years
KCJJ Staff
02/28/19
A deal to save the University of Iowa Labor Center has received Board of Regents approval.
The board on Thursday gave no comments as it voted on the deal as part of its consent agenda, approving that item unanimously.
Under the plan, the Labor Center will slowly have its university funding removed over the next four years while officials seek private funding from new or additional sources. Labor Center backers have said they have already secured some of the funding needed to keep it open.
Ken Sagar is president of the Iowa AFL-CIO. He thanked the board for its consideration of the proposal, calling it an important turning point and says the center has affected many groups in a wide variety of occupations.
“Over the nearly 70 years that the Labor Center has been in existence, this has reflected a commitment from the Regents and the communities in which they have worked,” Sagar said. “We thank you for your attention and we hope that your continued stewardship of our public institutions will include a bright future for the Labor Center at the University of Iowa.”
The Labor Center had been approved for closure last year, along with six others, as part of cost-cutting measures UI President Bruce Harreld said were necessary due to state higher education funding cuts.
Its many supporters have held several rallies since at the university, city and state level. The city of Iowa City earlier this month approved a resolution backing the center.
Per a memorandum of understanding from Labor Center director Jennifer Sherer and College of Law dean Kevin Washburn, who oversees the center, current staffing levels will be maintained. However, budget reviews will be more frequent as the center becomes self-sufficient to ensure the operating plan is sustainable.