“Iowa kids are not for sale!”
This is the chant that people, including Ivy Wishman, shouted this past year at protests against bills to loosen child labor laws. Ivy, 17, of Des Moines, has been named a Robert Mannheimer Youth Advocacy Award winner for her advocacy efforts on the issue.
Ivy was around 7 years old when she first joined a picket line with her dad, the president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. By the time she was a teenager, she was canvassing and knocking on doors for political candidates and causes. It was a natural step for her to speak out against laws like SF 542 that endanger children in workplaces, especially those from marginalized communities.
Gov. Kim Reynolds ultimately signed the bill into law, meaning that teens can work longer hours and take jobs that were previously banned like woodworking, operating a power saw, and demolition with supervision and safety precautions. A new proposed rule would also cap civil penalties to $2,500 for businesses that violate the rules governing the time and hours that children may work. The current fine is $10,000 per instance.
Despite the outcome, Ivy believes being politically active is always worth it.
“When I went door knocking in the past, I was happy if I got just one more person to vote—no matter how many hours or days I had spent doing it. The same principles apply in this situation. Any activism or outreach that young people do in their communities is important, no matter the political outcome.”
Ivy currently attends North High School in Des Moines. She is involved in her school’s photography club, student newspaper, and speech/debate team. This summer, she also attended the Democratic National Convention.
In the future, she still hopes to be involved in politics as a journalist.
“A big inspiration for my activism was my mom passing away. She was always very empathetic and trying to inspire and motivate others,” she said. “In order to function as a society, we need to have empathy and understanding for one another.”
If you know a young person or group of young people in Iowa who should be nominated for the Mannheimer Award in 2025, click here. Nominations will next open in early fall 2025.
