Night Workers Barred from Caucusing

Night Workers Barred from Caucusing

Ruth Kennedy's boss won't let her take time off from her night-shift job so she can caucus. She's not alone -- emergency workers and other Iowans on the night shift will miss the marquee political event in Iowa.

Three weeks ago, Kennedy asked to leave her customer service job at Mediacom at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 3 so she could caucus for Democrat Hillary Clinton. She said her supervisor waited until Christmas Eve to deny the request, saying that they couldn't spare her, that they hadn't had such requests before and that one fewer person at the caucus wouldn't make a difference anyway.
Advertisement

"It made me so furious," said Kennedy, who lives in Des Moines. "I raised such a fit I'm surprised they didn't send me home."

Nothing in the law requires Iowa employers to give workers time off so they can stand up for the presidential candidate of their choice.

Caucuses are functions of the Democratic and Republican parties of Iowa. They're not elections, and they're not regulated by state government.

Click here to continue reading.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot