Hunter
08/17/21
The Excluded Workers Coalition have filed a complaint with Iowa City’s Human Rights Commission for what they allege are discriminatory practices that have prevented them from getting unemployment and stimulus checks from the American Rescue Plan funds.
The Daily Iowan reports that the Coalition, made up of 16 organizations across the county, filed the complaint against the city of Iowa City, Johnson County, and Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan. They demand a $54 million fund, which includes $20 million in direct cash assistance to undocumented immigrants, previously incarcerated people, cash economy workers, and their families.
The complaint also singles out Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan for comments he reportedly made on an article in the Press-Citizen. During a march last week among activists demanding relief and hazard pay, a worker said she couldn’t get aid from the city’s general assistance program due to her not having a Social Security number. Sullivan tweeted his skepticism about the woman’s story, since she had a job at the Marriott. The DI reports Sullivan said, “how does she work at the Marriott without a Social Security Number?”
The Coalition said that Sullivan’s comments “ignore the reality of how undocumented immigrants and essential workers survive in this country.” They added in a recent survey shared with the Daily Iowan that nearly 80 percent of respondents reported losing their job or income since March 2020.