Hunter
06/24/24
Due to the ongoing flooding emergency in northwest Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ press conference at Sugapeach Chicken & Fish Fry in North Liberty today at 10:30 am has been canceled.
The Governor’s visit was to discuss what she calls “the U.S. Department of Labor’s excessive penalties against Iowa businesses that employ teens.”
Sugapeach owner Chad Simmons told The Des Moines Register his restaurant has recently been the target of a federal Department of Labor inspection, but he did not elaborate.
Iowa Restaurant Association President and CEO Jessica Dunker was a proponent of a 2023 law that loosens child labor regulations in the state, allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work as late as 9:00 on weeknights and 11:00 on weekends. The new law goes against federal regulations that allow teens those ages to only work until 7:00 during the school year and 9:00 over the summer.
The Iowa Restaurant Association is encouraging employers to temporarily switch back to the federal standards for the time being.
A release from the Iowa City Federation of Labor said they hope Reynolds and the Restaurant Association will cease the disinformation campaign which has encouraged Iowa businesses to violate child labor laws, already resulting in unnecessary dangers to kids and legal problems for Iowa businesses.
Greg Hearns, Board of Directors, Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, called it “truly outrageous” that the governor is telling employers it’s ok to break federal child labor laws. He said over the last decade he’s seen how Iowa’s failure to enforce basic workplace laws leave low-wage workers vulnerable to wage theft, discrimination, or safety hazards—and how often it’s Black, brown, and young workers who experience the worst mistreatment.
A press conference countering Reynolds appearance for today has also been canceled. The Iowa City Federation of Labor has planned a series of public forums to be hosted in July and August.