Iowa Worker’s Almanac news briefs for Jan. 15, 2026:
- Senate candidate knows job crisis firsthand: Nathan Sage, a candidate for US Senate in Iowa, talks about how a downturn in the Iowa economy has affected his own wife’s job.
- Union endorsements: Boilermakers Local 83 endorsed State Sen. Zach Wahls for US Senate last week. “He has consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with labor, supporting good union jobs, safe working conditions, strong benefits, and fair wages,” said Tom Dye, president of Boilermakers Local 83. // Ironworkers Local 67 endorsed Grace Van Cleave for State Senate District 17. “She will be a strong partner for our members and for communities across Iowa, and we are proud to support her as she works to build a Senate majority that fights for an Iowa that working people can afford,” said Ben Nizzi, president of Ironworkers Local 67.
- The great USDA resignation: The US Department of Agriculture lost 20,300 workers in the first six months of 2025, according to a new report that dropped over the holiday break and reported by the Farm and Food File. That’s more than 18% of its 110,300-person workforce, with the majority (15,114 workers) opting to leave under President Donald Trump’s Deferred Resignation Program.
- Iowa teachers suing over First Amendment rights: Two teachers from Johnston and Manchester are suing the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners for asking for complaints about them in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.
- Iowa farmers can expect bailout payments by the end of February, according to the USDA, which recently released per-acre rates coming to farmers via a federal bailout made necessary because of Trump’s tariffs and trade wars.
- Iowa union members and immediate family pursuing secondary education are invited to apply for the $1,000 Mac Smith scholarship.
- Voting on a union: Forty full- and part-time drivers and monitors at Durham School Services in Urbandale voted on whether to unionize with Teamsters Local 90 last month; there is still no vote total posted to the NLRB website as of this writing.
Upcoming layoffs:
All information taken from Iowa Workforce Development’s WARN Act website. Read WARN Act and Iowa WARN Act criteria here.
- Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off 14 workers by Jan. 23, and 25 by Feb. 6.
- 10 Roads Express/10 Roads Service in Carter Lake is closing and laying off 42 workers by Jan. 30.
- DRT in Carter Lake is closing and laying off 26 workers by Jan. 30.
- CRST Expedited in Cedar Rapids is laying off 30 workers by Feb. 1.
- Medtec/CQ Medical in Orange City is closing and laying off 33 workers by Feb. 6.
