The union representing Planned Parenthood North Central States workers say they are still in contract negotiations with the organization.
Planned Parenthood workers in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska voted last summer to form a union with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa.
They say they are seeking better health and retirement benefits as well as a revised pay structure to correct inequities and disparities.
In a statement, Planned Parenthood leaders say they are committed to working with employees and are optimistic about the progress that’s been made so far.
The Des Moines Register reports that hospitals in Iowa are struggling to keep up with a surge in respiratory illnesses such as RSV and the flu, and the COVID-19 pandemic is adding to the challenges. New reported cases of the disease and hospitalizations from it are up, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health and US. Department of Health and Human Services.
The state health department reported 3,704 new cases this week, making this the sixth consecutive week with an increase in reported cases. The total averages out to about 529 new cases per day. Last week, that average was 496 per day, and the week prior, it was 386.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 complications are also on the rise. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 256 people hospitalized with the disease in Iowa, nearly double the amount reported one month ago when the state had 137 COVID-19 patients.
Iowa’s unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percent to 3.1% in November — and has moved up slowly since hitting 2.5 % in July.
Iowa Workforce Development Director, Beth Townsend tells Radio Iowa the increase was due to more lost jobs than new people entering the workforce.
Townsend says several sectors saw job losses, including trade and transportation utilities, which lost about 1,100 jobs, professional and business services lost 1,000 jobs, finance and insurance, lost 800 jobs, while education, health care and social assistance lost 700. Townsend says there were the gains in leisure and hospitality jobs — one of the areas hardest hit in the pandemic — and construction added 1,000 jobs.
A new land acquisition could help boost water quality in northwest Iowa’s Spirit Lake. Iowa conservation organizations are working with partners across the border in Minnesota to revert 195 acres of land back to wetland and prairie habitat.
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation communications director Joe Jayjack says the hope is to significantly reduce the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen that makes its way from the often flooded parcel of land.
It's a place for this water to go into to slow down, have the plants that are naturally occurring in these wetland areas pull out a lot of those nutrients and clean the water before it can go into these bigger lake systems.))
Jayjack estimates it will take two to three years until the natural habitat is restored. The land will then become a Waterfowl Production Area and be managed by the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service.
