AFSCME Local 61 will hold an informational picket in Fort Madison on Wednesday, Sept. 17, to protest the state’s move toward privatizing health care in Iowa prisons. The demonstration runs from noon to 2 p.m. along the 800 and 900 blocks of Avenue H.
The Department of Corrections issued a request for proposals in July, seeking bids from private companies to provide prison health services. While officials describe it as exploratory, AFSCME President Todd Copley argues the decision is already made.
Roughly 300 public health care workers currently serve Iowa’s prison system, with 60 to 70 based in Fort Madison and Mt. Pleasant. Union leaders, including Copley and AFL-CIO Iowa President Charlie Wishman, are scheduled to speak at the event.
