SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

August 31, 2022

Sullivan’s Salvos 9/6/22

In this edition:

*Labor Day

*Great Labor Quote!

*Labor Day Picnic

*Labor Info

*RIP Elsie Vega

*Follow Up from Last Week

*Did You Know?

*Labor Day

Happy Labor Day Monday, September 5! I love Labor Day. Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day we set aside time to recall the folks whose service has given us our freedom. I have long felt we need to treat Labor Day in a similar fashion.

Please take a moment this Labor Day to remember the people who fought (and often died) to give us child labor laws, 40-hour weeks, weekends, overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA, employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, health insurance, and so much more.

Do not be fooled! Benevolent corporations did not GIVE these benefits to workers! They were earned by workers who sacrificed! It is a shame that so many average Janes and Joes have chosen to support our corporate masters versus supporting those whose efforts really benefit the masses.

Trust me – the average person has nothing to fear from unions. We all benefit when folks have safe and healthy workplaces. We all benefit when workers get adequate rest. We all benefit when workers receive good training. We all benefit when folks earn a living wage and have health insurance. Unions help improve the quality of life for all of us.

I feel as though I have accomplished some good labor-related things as a member of the Board of Supervisors. In response to the gutting of Prop 20, I led the charge to extend our collective bargaining agreements through June of 2021. Johnson County was the first county, city, or school district in Iowa to do so. We built our projects using Project Labor Agreements until the GOP prevented us from doing so. I have maintained very good relationships with our six (now 5) bargaining units, three (now two) PPME and three AFSCME. Finally, I have treated County employees with the respect they deserve.

I am proud to be a member of Local 716 of the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the Iowa City Federation of Labor, and a Delegate to the Iowa City Federation of Labor. Happy Labor Day!

*Great Labor Quote!

The singer/songwriter Steve Earle said it best: “If you have a boss, you need a union!” Amen, brother!

*Labor Day Picnic

The Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, is holding our annual Labor Day Picnic from noon-4pm on Monday, September 5 at Lower City Park in Iowa City. All friends of Labor are welcome. Please bring a dish to share.

*Labor Info

From the Economic Policy Institute, Report By Heidi Scheirholz, Margaret Poydock, Celine McNicholas, Lynne Rhinehart, and Daniel Perez, August 25, 2020.

Who are today’s union workers? While historically union members had been predominately white men, today’s union workers are a diverse group.

More than one in nine workers (16.4 million) are covered by a union contract (Shierholz 2020).

Almost two-thirds (65.2%) of workers covered by a union contract are women and/or people of color. Almost half (46.2%) are women. More than a third (36.1%) are Black, Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or other people of color.

Black workers are the major racial/ethnic group most likely to be represented by unions: 13.5% of Black workers are covered by a contract, compared with 12.2% of white workers, 10.2% of Hispanic workers, and 10.5% of AAPI workers.

More than half (54.7%) of workers covered by a union contract have an associate degree or more education. More than two out of five (43.1%) have a bachelor’s degree or more education.

Union workers hail from a variety of sectors, but the biggest numbers are found in the public sector (7.9 million) and in private-sector industries like education and health services (2.1 million), manufacturing (1.4 million), transportation and utilities (1.2 million), construction (1.1 million), and wholesale and retail trade (917,000).

Since industries vary in size, industries with the highest numbers of union workers aren’t always the industries with the highest union coverage rate. The highest shares of workers covered by a union contract (the “union coverage rate”) are public-sector workers (37.8%) and private-sector workers in the transportation and utilities (19.4%), construction (14.1%), information (10.4%), manufacturing (9.8%), and educational and health services (9.4%) industries.

Unions raise wages for both union and nonunion workers! On average, a worker covered by a union contract earns 11.2% more in wages than a peer with similar education, occupation, and experience in a nonunionized workplace in the same industry; this wage advantage is known as the “union wage premium.”

And unions don’t just help union workers—they help all of us. When union density is high, nonunion workers benefit, because unions effectively set broader standards—including higher wages, as noted by Rosenfeld, Denice, and Laird (2016)—that nonunion employers must meet in order to attract and retain the workers they need (and to avoid facing a union organizing drive themselves).

The combination of the direct effect of unions on union members and this “spillover” effect to nonunion workers means unions are crucial in raising wages for working people and reducing income inequality. Research shows that deunionization accounts for a sizable share of the growth in inequality between typical (median) workers and workers at the high end of the wage distribution in recent decades—on the order of 13–20% for women and 33–37% for men.

Unions help raise wages for women and lessen racial wage gaps. Unions help raise women’s pay. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are 5.8% higher on average than for nonunionized women with comparable characteristics. Rigorous research shows that unions reduce gender wage gaps within given employers: For example, Biasi and Sarsons (2020) show that the expiration of teacher collective bargaining agreements led to a gender gap in wages between male and female teachers with similar credentials.

Unions also help close wage gaps for Black and Hispanic workers. Since collective bargaining lifts wages of Black and Hispanic workers closer to those of their white counterparts, Black and Hispanic workers get a larger boost from unionization. White workers represented by union are paid “just” 8.7% more than their nonunionized peers who are white, but Black workers represented by union are paid 13.7% more than their nonunionized peers who are Black, and Hispanic workers represented by unions are paid 20.1% more than their nonunionized peers who are Hispanic.

Unions provide workers with better benefits, including paid leave and health care. Union workers are more likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance. More than nine in 10 workers covered by a union contract (94%) have access to employer-sponsored health benefits, compared with just 68% of nonunion workers. Further, union employers contribute more to their employee’s health care benefits. Union employers pay 86% of workers’ health care premiums while nonunion employers pay 79% of their workers’ health care premiums (BLS-EB 2019a).

Union workers also have greater access to paid sick days. Nine in 10 workers covered by a union contract (91%) have access to paid sick days, compared with 73% of nonunion workers. Almost all union workers in state and local government (97%) have paid sick days, compared with 86% of their nonunion peers. In the private sector, 86% of union workers have paid sick days compared with 72% of their nonunion peers (BLS-EB 2019b).

*RIP Elsie Vega

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Elsie Vega of Iowa City. Take a look at the following obituary for a glimpse into an amazing life!

https://www.lensingfuneral.com/obituaries/Elsie-Jean-Gauley-Vega?obId=25717779#/obituaryInfo

*Follow Up from Last Week

Some of you may recall that last week I complained that the domain rodsullivan.org linked directly to Phil Hemingway’s Facebook page. I spoke to Phil, and he assured me that he A) never bought the domain, and B) never created or authorized the link.

I take Phil at his word. I just wish whoever did this would undo it. Both Phil and I would appreciate it!

*DID YOU KNOW? In the wake of the massive unrest from the Haymarket Square Incident and other labor protests, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday. On June 28, 1894, President Cleveland signed it into law.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

August 25, 2022

I learned an interesting thing this week. If you type “rodsullivan.org” into your browser, you are redirected to Republican Supervisor candidate Phil Hemingway’s Facebook page. I tried it several times, and sure enough, that is where you go.

I find this somewhat interesting. Obviously, I was not using the domain. I do not own it – I never did. I don’t have any particular right to it. But Phil had to very specifically seek out that domain and purchase it. Why?

Why buy a domain containing my name? I’m not up for election. Redirecting people who enter that to his Facebook page might get him a few clicks, but it feels a bit misleading to me.

I checked all the other Supervisors – it appears he only bought my name. I guess I am not sure why he didn’t buy the others; perhaps they were unavailable? I should also note that while I like Phil, I am not supporting him in his run for Supervisor. I support Jon Green and V Fixmer Oraiz. I want to be clear about that.

Anyway, I guess this is no big deal. But I feel a bit wronged. Maybe violated is the correct word. I wish Phil had spoken to me before using my name.

The University of Iowa is back in session, and you can just feel the energy. 35,000 or so people have joined our ranks, and it almost feels as though the community is swelling.

I have an interesting vantage point from my house here on N. Linn Street. There are only two owner occupied homes on our block. There is an apartment building, a rooming house, and several historic properties that serve as rentals. We have been surrounded by beer pong, but we really can’t complain. The parties have been reasonable thus far.

We moved in February 1, so this will be our first fall in the neighborhood. We are absolutely loving it so far; I hope that is still true as we begin the 2022-2023 academic year!

Sticking with the student theme, President Biden recently announced a plan to forgive up to $10,000 in student loans for all borrowers earning less than $125,000. I think this is a GREAT idea! I will really help our economy, and it will disproportionately help women and people of color.

1. “This is not a long-term fix.” I agree. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it! Pass the relief, then work on long-term solutions.

2. “I paid back my student loans.” Great. But the Federal and State governments paid a much higher percentage of the cost of your schooling. This is simply leveling the playing field.

3. “What about people who didn’t go to college?” Society decided long ago that it was critically important to have an educated populace/workforce. It benefits everyone to have doctors, dentists, teachers, engineers, etc. We used to pay it through State taxes. This is just a different way.

4. “This just benefits rich people.” First, rich people do not take out student loans. Their parents simply pay. Secondly, the income cap eliminates much of that argument. Thirdly, statistics show that poor people are paying back much more per capita than wealthier students.

5. “We didn’t get forgiveness when I was that age.” My Dad had the perfect response to this type of argument. He was born in a house with a dirt floor, no running water, and no electricity. He would tell people, “Why the Hell would I wish that on my kids?”

The Inflation Reduction Act passed recently, and there is a lot of good stuff in it for average Americans! Now our job is to educate people as to what that stuff is! Here are some details, straight from the White House!

The Inflation Reduction Act lowers prescription drug costs, health care costs, and energy costs. It’s the most aggressive action on tackling the climate crisis in American history, which will lift up American workers and create good-paying, union jobs across the country. It’ll lower the deficit and ask the ultra-wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. And no one making under $400,000 per year will pay a penny more in taxes.

The Inflation Reduction Act creates good-paying union jobs that will help reduce emissions across every sector of our economy. As President Biden promised when running for president, the law includes some of the strongest labor protections and incentives ever attached to clean energy tax credit programs. It will:

Incentivize prevailing wages. The expanded tax credits for energy efficient commercial buildings, new energy efficient homes, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure will include bonus credits for businesses that pay prevailing wages and hire registered apprentices, ensuring local wages are not undercut by low-road contractors.

Stop companies from ripping off workers. It will penalize companies that promise to pay prevailing wages but don’t follow through, and workers who are owed prevailing wages will receive the difference, plus interest.

Make it in America. For the first time ever, the Inflation Reduction Act establishes Make it in America provisions for the use of American-made equipment for clean energy production. The law provides expanded clean energy tax credits for wind, solar, nuclear, clean hydrogen, clean fuels, and carbon capture, including bonus credits for businesses that pay workers a prevailing wage and use registered apprenticeship programs.

The Inflation Reduction Act will make our tax code fairer by cracking down on millionaires, billionaires, and corporations that evade their obligations, and making sure the largest corporations pay their fair share. No family making less than $400,000 per year will see their taxes go up by a single cent. The Inflation Reduction Act will raise revenue by:

Going after tax dodgers, ensuring the wealthy and large corporations pay the taxes they already owe.

Cracking down on the largest profitable corporations that currently get away with paying little to no federal income tax, instituting a minimum corporate tax of 15%.

Imposing a 1% surcharge on corporate stock buybacks, to encourage businesses to invest instead of enriching CEOs or funneling profits tax-free to shareholders.

Making transformational investments in taxpayer service so that regular Americans can get their questions answered and access the credits and benefits they are entitled to.

The law’s tax reforms won’t just raise revenue to finance critically needed investments to lower costs for working families and combat climate change, they are also an important component of building an economy that rewards work rather than wealth and doesn’t let the rich and powerful get away with playing by a separate set of rules.

President Biden made a promise to re-energize American manufacturing, and he kept his promise. The President already has the strongest record of growing manufacturing jobs in modern history, and this law invests in American workers and industry. The Inflation Reduction Act will:

Build American clean energy supply chains, by incentivizing domestic production in clean energy technologies like solar, wind, carbon capture, and clean hydrogen.

Support American workers with targeted tax incentives aimed at manufacturing U.S.-sourced products such as batteries, solar, and offshore wind components, and technologies for carbon capture systems.

Strengthen America’s manufacturing base. The Inflation Reduction promotes domestic sourcing and American jobs. For example, clean energy tax credits are increased if the amount of American steel used in wind projects meets the domestic content threshold, and bonus credits apply to employers who use of prevailing wages and apprenticeships, ensuring that federal tax policy supports good-paying, high-skilled jobs.

Create good-paying union jobs in energy communities. Clean energy tax credits will be increased by 10% if the clean energy projects are established in communities that have previously relied upon the extraction, processing, transport, or storage of coal, oil, or natural gas as a significant source of employment, creating jobs and economic development in the communities that have powered America for generations.

President Biden has followed through on his promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The Inflation Reduction Act will protect Medicare recipients from catastrophic drug costs by phasing in a cap for out-of-pocket costs and establishing a$35 cap for a month’s supply of insulin. And, as an historic win, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices for high-cost drugs for the first time ever. For union members or family members who benefit from the Affordable Care Act, it extends health insurance premium subsidies.

Whew! That is a lot! I am going to keep focusing on this huge win! I hope you do as well! Remember, ZERO Republicans voted for this. ZERO. Great job, Democrats!

*DID YOU KNOW? The Wharton School of Business estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce cumulative deficits by $248 billion. $248 billion! So when you hear Republicans complain about spending? This actually REDUCES the deficit!

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

August 18, 2022

My granddaughter Zuri starts kindergarten at Horace Mann this year, and our whole household is excited!

I love the improvements that were made at Mann! It is interesting; I was on the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) Committee that decided what the ICCSD would ask voters to approve in the huge 2017 bond issue. (I served on the bond campaign as well.) Mitch Gross (then a West High teacher, now the West High Principal) and I led the charge to ensure that as few schools as possible got closed, and that every school got improvements. The consultants would have closed Mann, Lincoln, Longfellow, Hills, and Coralville Central. We argued to not only keep those schools, but to invest heavily in them. Thankfully, our side won the day!

It is a bit ironic, because I never imagined that 5 years later, my granddaughter would be attending one of the schools we saved! But I am really glad she is!

Zuri and I had a fun moment this summer… we were walking by Mann, and an older couple was taking a photo. They said hello, and I asked why they were taking the photo. The woman, who was 82, had attended Mann K-6. She now lived in Cedar Rapids, but her and her husband were just spending the day in her old neighborhood. Zuri simply couldn’t believe that this old woman had attended the same school she was about to attend. She started kindergarten there in 1946, just a year after the end of World War II! I’ll admit, it was hard for me to believe, too! I am glad she still had a beautiful building to photograph!

I am really looking forward to the opportunities that await Zuri at Horace Mann. I have heard nothing but great things about the faculty and staff! Good luck, Zuri! Go get ‘em!

The Lone Tree Fall Festival is August 26 & 27 in Lone Tree. This event is a great opportunity to share some good times with the fine folks of Johnson County’s “panhandle”!

I have written here before that I LOVE local economist Peter Fisher. Well, at his retirement party, he dropped this incredible statistic about our recent bout of inflation:

We have inflation – we all agree with that. So basic goods and services cost us all a bit more. But where does the money go? We are paying more – where does the money ACTUALLY go?

In this case, 8% went for higher wages for frontline workers. That is good. 28% went toward the mess that is our supply chain. Unfortunate, but understandable. 53% - 53%! – went to higher corporate profits.

So, don’t buy the Fox News bullshit on this. Over half the inflation we see today is corporate profiteering. It is wrong. It is no different than when you have a flood or a tornado and retailers double the price of a generator. It is WRONG! It should be illegal, just as the generator scenario is illegal in many places.

So our 8% inflation could and should be 4%. Corporations simply needed to take 3% gains rather than 53% gains. If you want to blame someone for inflation, don’t blame Biden. Blame corporations!

I wrote this in Salvos a LONG time ago – almost exactly 14 years to the day. Unfortunately, we are still struggling over many of the same issues. I do have hope, however. The community seems much readier and able now than they were in 2008. Let’s hope!

Race continues to be a topic of discussion in Johnson County. I know this can be an uncomfortable topic, but we ignore it at our peril.

As the father of three African American children, I have dealt with issues of race more than most, but certainly less than those with lived experience. I have found several ways in which the discussion can break down quickly. Below is my personal list of do’s and don’t’s:

*Don’t be shocked when people of color disagree. White people disagree all the time!

*Try not to use absolutes such as “always” and “never”. If I am inclined to disagree with you anyway, that type of language simply assures me you are incorrect.

*People tend to fear things with which they are unfamiliar. This is a natural reaction. Exposure begets acceptance.

*There is no excuse for racist language. If you use it, quit using it. If you hear others use it, say something.

*We must stop equating race and criminal behavior. We do not blame all City Councilors for the things a few City Councilors have done. Why should we blame all African Americans for the crimes of a few?

*It is easy to be critical. It is much more difficult to come up with constructive solutions. Work toward solutions.

Do you have opinions regarding a community dialogue on issues of race? If so, I would appreciate knowing what you think!

I recently finished the book written by former Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton called “Co-Crafting the Just City.” It is a very interesting read. I spoke to Jim about the book briefly, and I plan to speak with him again at greater length. So you will read more about this soon!

The book is actually intended as a textbook for planning students. One thing planning programs tend to overlook is that cities are run by councils, and those councils can be made up of very unpredictable people! I think Jim’s book will open some eyes among planning students who simply may never have considered some of the things that go on with councils.

That said, if you live in Johnson County and are reading Jim’s book, you will not be able to avoid reading this as a history. A flood of issues (including floods) come rushing back. Some of the things Jim describes are great triumphs; others are failures I’d just as soon have forgotten. But the book really tells the tale of the years 2012-2019 in Iowa City.

As I said, I will write more about this in the future. Let me just tease you with one quick takeaway:

People forget that as recently as December of 2013, Throgmorton couldn’t even get a motion seconded! “Liberal” Iowa City had a 7-person council unwilling to give him a second! As recently as December of 2015, development-at-all-costs held a majority on council. That is just 6 and a half years ago! We must be eternally vigilant, or the City Council will go right back to where it was.

Thanks, Jim, for writing this book! I look forward to more conversations about it in the future!

*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County is about 8.5% black, 7% Asian, 6% Latinx, and 3% two or more races.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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