By Naomi Hofferber | [email protected]

Iowa City activists met on the Pedestrian Mall on Wednesday, International Women’s Day, to discuss issues of worker rights in response to House File 295.

HF295 would block cities and counties from setting their own minimum wages, which would reduce Johnson Counties current $10.10 minimum wage down to Iowa’s $7.25.

Nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers are women, according to the National Women’s Law Center.“Workers are being attacked this year in our state Legislature on a number of fronts, and it’s very important that people come together, learn about that, and know how to fight back to maintain their rights,” said Jennifer Sherer of the Iowa Policy Project. “[The minimum wage] shapes the conditions of the entire labor market and the economy. Iowa has allowed our workers to fall behind; 29 other states in the country have already raised the minimum wage above that level, we have not changed ours since 2008; that’s almost a decade of inaction from our state government.”

Sherer said a low minimum wage creates a crisis for individuals and their children who rely on that income.

“People are going to have to organize, come together, and put increasing pressure on their elected officials to make a change,” Sherer said.

Protesters chanted, “Forward together, not one step back,” as they marched.

For local businesses, the issue of minimum wage is complicated, as often businesses must look for ways to pay an increased wage.

Kurt Vanderhoef, the owner of Iowa Book, has reduced the operating hours of the store so he can  pay his workers the increased wages.

“It’s changing the way you do business,” Vanderhoef said. “You have to watch when you are making dollars and when you aren’t making dollars, and if you can’t make money when you’ve got five people working at a higher minimum wage, then you’re not going to be open those hours. It’s simple economics; if you can’t make any money, then the doors aren’t going to stay open and nobody is going to have a job.”

Vanderhoef said he has looked for ways to cut costs without raising prices of products, like installing more efficient lighting.

“There’s two different views on minimum wage. In one aspect, yes, you want everybody to make as much as possible, and for the people that are making a living wage, that are making a living on it, yes I want them to make a living wage,” Vanderhoef said. “But for somebody who is just working a couple or three hours who need just a little spending money, who are learning how to work, I think the minimum wage is too high.”

Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton attended the protest Wednesday afternoon.

“People can’t afford to live on the wages they get paid if the wages aren’t high enough,” Throgmorton said. “You can’t afford to live on it. Especially if you have a family, you can’t feed your kids, you can’t take care of the kids.”

Throgmorton said while the protest might not have any immediate outcomes, it is a vital part of democracy. He also expressed faith in local businesses continuing livable wages for their employees, regardless of what happens at the state level.

“Kurt Friese sets a very good example, the owner of Devotay, saying that he will continue to pay all his employees the new minimum wage even though it is not required of him,” Throgmorton said. “I think many business owners will do that, maybe a large proportion of them, I don’t know.”