Iowa
Iowa City Bruegger’s employees vote against establishing bagel chain’s first union
Employees at an Iowa City Bruegger’s location voted against unionization on Tuesday, ending an effort that would have established the first worker’s union at the nationwide bagel franchise.
Workers voted against unionization at the 708 S. Riverside Drive Bruegger’s location during the morning and afternoon on Tuesday. All employees who were on the payroll as of June 18 were eligible to vote in the election. Vote totals were not immediately available.
Bruegger’s Workers United shared a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, about 45 minutes after the voting period came to an end.
“I’m saddened to say that the hard workers of Bruegger’s Bagels on Riverside in Iowa City voted against a union,” the group wrote. “This is not the end of BWU. Bruegger’s has made a mockery of justice with their relentless union-busting tactics, and we will not rest til they are held accountable.”
Union organizer Juniper Hollis was not immediately available for comment.
The vote against unionization comes less than three weeks after the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of workers and cleared the way for a vote to be held. The board ruled that Bruegger’s employees had “clearly” met the qualifications to attempt to become a “labor organization.”
From June: Iowa City Bruegger’s Bagels employees get clearance to hold chain’s first union vote
NLRB Regional Director Jennifer Hadsall, who delivered the ruling, shrugged off the bagel brand’s arguments against establishing the labor organization, writing that employees seem to have multiple fronts on which they want to engage Bruegger’s leadership, including “wages, workplace respect and paid time off.”
The downtown Iowa City Bruegger’s location was not part of these bargaining efforts.
Picketing, labor board ruling preceded vote
A small group of employees gathered outside of the 708 S. Riverside Drive location on June 15, demanding recognition of “Bruegger’s Workers United,” the unionization effort with a similar moniker to the successful downtown Iowa City Starbucks unionization effort conducted last spring.
Hollis is a former Bruegger’s employee at the recently closed Coralville location. Employees alleged that the closure, which came shortly after employees first publicly announced their intention to unionize, was in response to union action. Bruegger’s previously declined the Press-Citizen’s request for comment.
From June: Workers at Iowa City, Coralville Bruegger’s Bagels sites picket over unionization attempt
The closure and other actions prompted the workers to petition the NLRB for unfair labor practices. Hadsall wrote in the board’s June 21 ruling that the labor organization is in its beginning stages.
According to the board’s ruling, there is no official union constitution, dues have not yet been collected, and there is no official meeting space. Hollis’ apartment hosted the two meetings prior to the delivery of the board ruling.
“While the Petitioner is not yet fully fledged, the record establishes sufficient evidence to establish labor organization status under the Board’s liberal standards,” Hadsall wrote.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
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IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.
Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.
“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”
Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.
Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.
Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.
Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.
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