Serving coffee in a collective: A look into Iowa’s first unionized Starbucks
News outlet:
The Daily Iowan
Publication date:
Sept. 12, 2023
Young workers in Iowa City successfully voted to unionize, putting Iowa on the map in the nationwide movement of collective organizing across Starbucks locations. The Clinton Street Starbucks near the University of Iowa campus became the first Starbucks to unionize in Iowa, and workers say conditions have already improved as a result. Workers voted 25-0 in favor of unionizing this May because of issues with management. It was the largest unanimous union vote across Starbucks locations nationally. Employees at the Clinton Street Starbucks say it was easy to build consensus because of their shared experiences working chaotic shifts.
I wrote this story profiling workers involved with unionization, and I also created a podcast and data visualizations for the digital multimedia package. Photos by Cody Blissett.
Father strives to build a home for kids fleeing the Sudanese civil war
News outlet:
NPR’s NextGenRadio, Iowa Newsroom
Publication date:
July 14, 2023
When violence erupted in Sudan, Hazim Mohamed feared he would never see his three children again. His kids safely returned to Iowa after a long evacuation journey. Mohamed feels he is losing one of his homes and has had to reckon with war making Sudan an unsafe place.
I produced this package during a week long intensive program with NPR’s NextGenRadio. I wrote the story, edited the audio narrative, took photos, created audiograms, and produced an interactive map. Illustrations by Emily Wang.
John Irving reflects on Iowa City, shares snippet of unpublished novel during visit
News outlet:
The Daily Iowan
Publication date:
October 13, 2023
Literary icon John Irving returned to Iowa City’s writing community on Friday, where he was welcomed by a sold-out Hancher audience. At 81 years old, Irving still has several novels left to write. He said he saved the shorter and easier ones for later in life.
Photo by Emily Nyberg.
Does Christina Bohannan want to abolish law enforcement? No
News outlet:
PolitiFact
Publication date:
September 8, 2021
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said her potential Democratic challenger in 2022 wants to abolish law enforcement. State Rep. Christina Bohannan, D-Iowa City, donated in 2019 to the Prairielands Freedom Fund, which wants to abolish imprisoning immigrants entering the United States illegally. However, Bohannan said she did not know the organization’s mission when she donated in support of a friend’s birthday, and has made statements on the Iowa House floor in support of law enforcement.
Every summer, lease gaps leave Iowa City renters scrambling for housing and storage
News outlet:
Little Village
Publication date:
July 7, 2022
Every year during some of the hottest days of summer, hundreds of local renters find themselves searching for a place to stay or store their things in the days between the end of one lease and the start of another, usually the last week in July and/or first week of August. During the stretch without a set residence, renters scramble and often rely on help from friends, family, even strangers.
This article appeared as the cover story for Little Village issue 308.
Journalism Portfolio of Natalie Dunlap 