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HOME — FACTS — TABLES — VIDEOS — INFOGRAPHICS — AGENCIES — RESEARCH <br />It is crucial to recognize that the government will not take these steps to protect workers willingly. In 2015, a <br />Republican -led House shot down a bill that would have protected co-workers who testify against employers <br />from retaliation and required employers to keep records on terms of employment, according to The Cedar <br />Rapids Gazette. <br />The only way workers will get the protections they deserve is by putting pressure on the state and forcing the <br />government's hand. This could be achieved through actions such as strikes and walk -outs. <br />Action from workers would also bring attention to the issue and shift the narrative. Many people who aren't <br />getting paid what they are owed may not even realize it, or may think it's just an unfortunate reality of being <br />a worker. <br />Workers stand up and take what they are owed. <br />It is beyond time for Iowa and the U.S. to stand up against predatory employers who steal from their own <br />employees, but if the government is ever going to take such actions, it will only be because mass amounts of <br />workers joined together and demanded they get what they deserve. <br />Evan Weidl is an Opinions Columnist at The Daily Iowan, the independent, student -run newspaper at the <br />University of Iowa. <br />26 <br />