State Works to Secure Soldiers' Jobs

By Josh Hinkle, Reporter

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By Josh Hinkle

Story Created: Oct 18, 2007 at 3:46 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 18, 2007 at 4:08 PM CST

DES MOINES - Some Iowa soldiers serving our nation are finding they're out of a civilian job when they get home. But state lawmakers are pushing to penalize employers who refuse to reinstate those soldiers.

Legislators are now making plans to ensure this bill goes through on the first day of their 2008 session. In fact, it's so important to them, they they've changed the penalties from just civil to criminal, meaning some company officials could go to jail for keeping jobs from soldiers.

Army Reserve Capt. Pam Reynolds was a physical therapist at a retirement home in Ames. But she lost her job when she left for 15 months of active duty. Now, she's fighting to make sure that other companies don't take advantage of other soldiers.

She says, “(It would be) a criminal offense. They could actually take companies away in handcuffs."

Reynolds approached state lawmakers with the idea after Nebraska passed a similar bill.

Rep. McKinley Bailey, (D) Webster City, says, "If we want a strong national guard and army reserve, our citizen soldiers have to know that when they leave jobs, then come home, they can count on it still being there."

If soldiers find themselves in this situation, there is a federal law to help, but the legal battle could take two years. Only a handful of Iowa soldiers have come forward so far. Lawmakers say a state law will make their fight faster.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says, "This is not a problem that's widespread, but if it happens ten times in Iowa, that's ten times too many."

Reynolds' job involved working with older veterans.

She says, "These people are really important to me, so nothing will keep me away from them, that's for sure."

Her case's first hearing is this January. She says, if this bill passes, perhaps other soldiers won't have to go that far. Under this proposed law, the state would also help take the legal and financial burden off soldiers who try to reclaim their civilian jobs.

Email Josh Hinkle at Josh.Hinkle@kcrg.com

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