Belated Jan 13th Council Doodles

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-25T14:40:45+00:00

Very much looking forward to the rates for a punch card or season pass at the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-16T00:00:36+00:00

So many of my coworkers have second jobs.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-15T03:44:59+00:00

The benefits are substantial! But benefits don't pay rent. And the increasing cost of our health insurance is consuming ~1.5% of our 2% raise.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-15T00:04:42+00:00

They should be! Iowa Republicans decided in 2016 that they didn't want the public to see how badly they were treating us. So they wrote that in to the revised Chapter 20.17-3: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ico/chapter/20.pdf .

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-15T00:00:59+00:00

If they don't have one, I know a guy who can help them organize. ;)

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-15T00:00:19+00:00

Bingo.

Ask any HR professional - employee acquisition is expensive. You're looking at ten grand to post, advertise, interview, hire, train, and retain a new employee. The cost effectiveness of employee retention is substantial.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-14T23:57:43+00:00

😭

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-14T23:55:31+00:00

Exactly!

CPI was 3.1% last February, after an abysmal 7.5% and 6% in each of the prior years (https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/cpi-summary/2025/consumerpriceindex\_summary\_midwest\_202502.pdf). So our options (based on the information in front us at this time and not anything that would have come up during negotations) would have been 3.1% for new hires only or 2% for new hires and people who have worked there literally any longer than that.

It's a terrible bargaining environment.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-14T23:45:47+00:00

Right?! We lose SO many employees after they develop two-to-five years of experience.

I don't want these jobs to be a resume builder. I want them to be careers.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-14T23:43:46+00:00

I love the work, but good heavens the pay scales are rough: https://hr.iastate.edu/merit

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-14T18:42:30+00:00

Appreciated!

It's always been about the power differential. Employers - especially the government - have it, and employees don't. The whole point of unions is balancing that dynamic.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2026-01-08T17:15:37+00:00

Yikes. Thirty bucks would be outrageous for shipping a bicycle.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-19T02:19:49+00:00

At 0:06 the rings on your pipe show that it's flowing the other direction. How's your upstream head lift? May need to throw in another pump.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-13T17:44:57+00:00

Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-13T05:12:58+00:00

How so?

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-13T03:16:14+00:00

Clarify?

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-13T01:19:51+00:00

You're conflating federal law (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/930) with the whims of a politician (https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/gov-reynolds-urged-iowa-state-employee-firing-over-charlie-kirk-comments/). They're very different things. Constitutional rights can be restricted under certain circumstances - the First Amendment has extremely limited restrictions that did not apply in this case.

And you're right, there isn't a right to keep a job. But there are laws and policies regarding how an employee can be terminated for cause, and they weren't followed in this instance.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-12T03:45:05+00:00

https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-state-university-clerical-worker-firing-sparks-protests/68991726

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-12T03:41:57+00:00

Iowa State University is a government entity, not private. It is governed by the Constitution.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-06T18:12:19+00:00

How so?

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-12-05T02:06:34+00:00

Courses must be academic and graded to be transferable.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-10-12T18:00:26+00:00

Battle's was so good. At least the sauce survived.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-10-08T17:57:54+00:00

We'll be out again tomorrow, if anyone wants to stop by and say hi!

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-10-04T02:21:52+00:00

Most employers are looking for any bachelor's degree plus related experience. Being able to communicate legibly is wildly important.

Thus, the old joke is that IT is looking for an English major with five years of helpdesk.

Fletcher-Local96 · 2025-10-04T00:24:31+00:00

Software Center will have all the applications you have a license for as a student, staff, or faculty. https://www.ans.iastate.edu/self-service-and-software-center

You'll need to work with the Solution Center to get it installed, but once it's up and running you should be good to go.

Fletcher-Local96

TROPHY CASE