Hunter
09/23/21
The Daily Iowan reports that a petition has been circulating among workers at a local coffee house chain, demanding that their wages be returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Nearly 700 signatures were collected by the Eastern Iowa Industrial Workers of the World labor union before the petition was locked last Friday. It claims that owners of the Java House decreased wages from $10.10 to $8.75 because of the pandemic’s financial toll. Now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, workers say they’re seeing a steady increase in customers, but not in their wages.
The DI talked to Nolan Hanson, founder of Hawks’ Union. Members of his organization, activists concerned about student interests at the UI, say they’ve heard claims of hostile work environments and wage thefts involving tips at Java House even before the pandemic. A current employee wrote in an email to the Daily Iowan that they and other employees value their job and called the work environment “great.” The employee, however, supports the petition.
Java House issued a statement in response to the petition. They say it doesn’t accurately reflect the company’s compensation system; however, they didn’t deny that wages were lowered and believe its employees have a right to be heard.