Iowa bills would protect families, strengthen child labor laws (in response to packing house bust)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20282333&BRD=2703&PAG=461&dept_id=555106&rfi=6

TIM ROHWER, Staff Writer, [e-mail]
03/18/2009

The Iowa House has approved two bills that would provide more economic security for families facing tough economic times, said Rep. Paul Shomshor, D-100th District.

One of them is a bill, already approved by the Senate, that would provide up to 26 weeks of additional unemployment benefits for laid-off workers who are retraining for occupations in areas where available jobs will be growing, he said.

The added retraining benefits will not be charged against the employer who laid off the workers because the funding comes from federal job training legislation that's estimated to pump $71 million in additional funds into the state's unemployment trust fund, Shomshor said. Another provision would waive any additional unemployment charges against employers who lay off temporary workers in order to give returning military veterans their jobs back.

The bill now goes to Gov. Chet Culver for his signature.

The other bill would punish bosses who break child labor laws with up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine. The bill also raises the fines from $100 to $500 for each instance that employers fail to pay employees.

"With a troubled national economy and rising unemployment, I'm proud we are taking action to strengthen middle class families with new protections to prevent abuse and additional job training for Iowans who are trying to land a good-paying job," Shomshor said.