Luann "Right to Work for Less" Ridgeway Elected Kansas City Scrooge of the Year!!
Wal-Mart --------------------------------------- 946
Rep Darrell Issa ---------------------------- 900
Thanks
to all the volunteers who took extra hours out of their busy holiday
schedules to bring food, decorate the hall, took photos, stocked and
staffed the appetizers and cash bar, etc. All of us together make "Scrooge
of the Year" happen! We had a great time playing all the games member organizations brought to the event including "Wheel of Misfortune", "Pin the Tail on the Skunk", "WalMart Balloon Pop" , and "Darrell Darts".Who knew we could have so much fun working for workers' rights and economic justice.
Bradley Harmon of CWA 6355/ Missouri State Workers' Union did a fantastic job as emcee this year. Thanks to Sheet Metal Workers Local 2 for allowing us to use their hall for our "Holiday Party with an Attitude".
**Extra special thanks to all the supporters who signed up or increased their monthly sustaining donations for Missouri Jobs with Justice! Thank you for investing in MO JwJ.
Rex Sinquefield Elected
St. Louis Scrooge of the Year!!
Rep Todd Akin ---- 2722 votes
Rep Darrell Issa --- 1737 votes
Frank Kartmann --- 395 votes
Thanks to everyone
who came out and voted, campaigned, dressed up, took
pictures and helped create a festive spirit at our annual Holiday
party. The night never would have happened without the dozens of
volunteers who picked up food, set up decorations, stocked and staffed
the cash bar, etc. A
special thank
you to St. Louis JwJ Student Co-Chair Justin Stein and Regional Ballot
Initiative Organizer Montague Simmons for emceeing the event. Teamsters
Local 688 gets a special shout out for hosting the event again!**Extra special thanks to all the supporters who signed up or increased their monthly sustaining donations for Missouri Jobs with Justice! Thank you for investing in MO JwJ.
A Thousand Rally and March for JOBS
Thursday, November 17,
Missouri Jobs with Justice, community groups, local area unions and
Occupy St. Louis particpated in an international
"Day of Action". In cities across the US, concerned
citizens marched to crumbling bridges to send a message to Congress: Repair our bridges and roads -
create JOBS, not CUTS. Over 20 different union locals, community groups and churchs were represented at the event. MO JwJ faith leader The Rev Mary Albert MC'ed the Rally portion.
Pastor Albert said, in part (from the St. Louis Beacon):
We are here to let Wall Street and Market Street and Main Street and every other street know that we are not going away until justice comes...We want a jobs bill. We want accountability from Wall Street...We want fair and equitable tax reform.
The rally then turned into a huge march, leaving Kiener Plaza (Freedom Square) onto Market street, then north onto Broadway to the Martin Luther King bridge. The marchers took up an entire lane of traffic; the police department facilitated the marchers and led them to the MLK bridge.
Fourteen protesters were arrested for civil disobedience at the MLK bridge. Among them were Richard Von Glahn, St. Louis JwJ Organizing Committee Co-Chair and Shannon Duffy, St. Louis JwJ Labor Co-Chair.
Check out photos and coverage of the march in KSDK, KMOV, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KWMU, KPLR, St. Louis Beacon, KMOX and the Riverfront Times.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
A Hearing on the Downsizing and
Consolidation of Social Service Offices
**Hearings in Columbia, St. Louis, Kansas City, Kirksville,
St. Louis and Springfield **
**Saturday, October 29, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm **
The October 29 hearings in Columbia, St. Louis, Kirksville, Kansas City and Springfield will occur simultaneously, and be linked via video conference. The combined hearings will feature testimony from community members who will be affected by closures in their communities, Family Support Division employees and advocacy organization leaders.
• Who: Missourians who depend on the Department of Social Services and other state agencies services, Family Support Division caseworkers and community leaders, including:
o Reverend Jim Hill, Missouri Interfaith IMPACT and Missouri Baptist Network
o The Reverend Sarah Hamilton, Methodist Pastor in Marquand, Pattonville and Rhodes Chapels, Missouri Interfaith IMPACT Board
o Mike Hoey, Executive Director of the Missouri Catholic Conference o Rebecca McClanahan, Director of Missouri Health Care for All
o Nancy Copenhaver, Moberly City Councilwoman
o Rhonda Perry, Executive Director of Missouri Rural Crisis Center
o Shelby Butler, Program Associate, Services for Independent Living
o Juan Rangel, Director of Community Engagement at Metropolitan Community College; Board of Kansas City Transit Authority
o David Robinson, Statewide President of Missouri Chapter of the American Association of University Professors
o Reverend Sam Mann, Kansas City
o Deacon Mike Lewis, St. Patrick’s Parish in Kansas City
o Aimee Wehmeier, President of Missouri’s Network of Centers for Independent Living o Jill Shinn, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
o Robin Acree, GRO
o Miriam Mahan, Executive Director of Saints Joachim and Ann Care Service
• What: Community hearings on how Missourians will be negatively impacted by Department of Social Services staffing cuts, and the subsequent restrictions placed on vulnerable Missourians access to services.
• When: Saturday, October 29, 10:00am - 12:30pm
• Where: Columbia, St. Louis, Kansas City, Kirksville, St. Louis and Springfield
o University of Missouri at Columbia
Lafferre Hall - Room W0015
http://map.missouri.edu
o University of Missouri at St. Louis—South Campus
South Computer Building - South Campus - Room 102 http://www.umsl.edu/files/pdfs/south-campus-map.pdf
o University of Missouri Kansas City
Fine Arts Building, Room 307
http://www.umkc.edu/maps/
o Missouri State University campus
Glass Hall, Room 236
http://search.missouristate.edu/map/
o A.T. Still University/ Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Health And Wellness Clinic Mehegan Classroom www.atsu.edu/kcom/admissions/visit/maps.html
MO JwJ and Allies Rally
and March with Occupy St. Louis
Missouri
Jobs with Justice and allies joined Occupy St. Louis for a "We Are One
- We Are the 99%" Rally and March downtown this past Friday, October
14. Four
hundred rallied in Kiener Plaza, and a thousand strong marched
to the Bank of America, then to the Arch grounds, and back to Kiener
Plaza.
At
Bank of America, their role in the 2008 financial crises and ensuing
rampant foreclures were highlighted. At the Arch grounds,
nearby
bridges that need repairs were pointed out as a way to put millions of
Americans back to work - by public works projects
repairing our public structures.
Gary Elliott, of MOJwJ member organization Eastern Missouri Laborers'
District Council, was quoted on KSDK,
"I think banks are sitting on a lot of money that they're not
wanting to put out. They're
basically squeezing the small businesses that everybody agrees is the
economic engine of this country, yet they won't give them
loans. They give super loans to the big companies, but yet we had the bank bailouts."
Steve
Johnson, Organizing Committee Co-Chair for St. Louis area Jobs with
Justice and Organizer with Teamsters Local 688, summed it up nicely: "I think people are tired of
their houses falling into foreclosure while the rich are getting
richer,"
The
rally was the first big event organized with Occupy St. Louis
and
labor groups in St. Louis. Earlier in the week, several
unions endorsed the overall message of Occupy St. Louis, which
sees widespread negative effects of corporate greed, a widening gap in
equality, and over 30 years of stagnated wages (when adjusted for
inflation).
The event was organized by MO JwJ, Occupy
St. Louis, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE),
Missouri AFL-CIO, St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council,
St. Louis Labor Council, SEIU and other unions.
The rally and
march was covered by many major media outlets in the city. Read the
articles by Channel 5 KSDK, Channel 4 KMOV, the Post-Dispatch, and the Beacon.
MO JwJ and
Allies Rally for Workers all Across the State
This
past week was chock full of
direct actions in Kansas City and St. Louis supporting workers’
rights
and the improvement of workers' conditions everywhere.
The week started on Monday,
09/26, at the Ritiz Carlton where New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie was having a $10,000/plate lunch fundraiser, to help him
"transform America." Governor Christie is known for his
anti-union, anti-public employee views and for restricting the
bargaining rights for tens of thousands of hard-working New Jersey
workers.
We wanted to let Gov. Christie know that his anti-union ideas
are NOT welcome in Missouri.
Led by CWA Local 6355, AFSCME and UNITE HERE, about 40
demonstrators marched to the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, chanting, "Go
Home Christie" and "Just Say No to Christie’s Lies, Defend Our Right
to
Organize".
Later that day, activists and
community leaders joined Making Change at Walmart to educate Walmart
workers about the OUR Walmart campaign. We talked to dozens of Walmart
workers at 9 stores in South, West and North St. Louis County. Learn
more about Making
Change at Walmart and OUR
Walmart. Sign
up to support their "For Respect" campaign.
On Tuesday, 09/27,
member organization American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and allies
held a National Day of Action in cities all over the United States. The
National Day of Action brought attention to HR 1351, federal
legislation that would allow the United States Postal Service to fix
its financial problems at no expense to taxpayers.
The National Day of Action was organized by all the postal
workers unions: the APWU, National Association of Letter
Carriers (NALC), National Postal Mailhandlers Union (NPMHU), and
National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA). Rallies were
held
both in Kansas City and St. Louis
In St. Louis, APWU District Area Local
President Fred Wolfmeyer, and HR 1351 Co-Sponsor Congressman Russ
Carnahan both spoke in favor of the bill. Activists and other union
members came out in solidarity, and to show their support for the vital
services postal workers provide of delivering mail and medicine in a
timely manner.
In
Kansas City, Congressmen Graves and Yoder's offices were targeted,
hoping to encourage the legislators to support the federal legislation
and the USPS.
On Wednesday, there was
another day of double rallies. First, member
organization Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1
kicked off their negotiations for over 150,000 janitors and cleaners
nationwide with a National Day of Action in 29 cities, including St. Louis and Kansas
City.
The union had the National Day of
Action to show strength going into bargaining. Their workers want to
protect the pay and benefits gains they’ve earned, and bargain for
more. Missouri Jobs with Justice activists and leaders came out in
solidarity with the workers.
That same afternoon,
member organization Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 335
held a rally at Missouri American Water Company’s office in St. Louis.
UWUA Local 335 has
had an ongoing struggle with Missouri American Water Company, who is
trying to transfer family-supporting, skilled, union jobs to
low-paying, non-union facilities. Further, they want to consolidate
jobs- that would compromise customer service, lead to longer wait times
and eliminate good paying jobs for the St. Louis area.
The water workers are keeping this struggle in the public eye
with this rally at Missouri American Water Company.
And on Thursday,
09/29, Registered Nurses from all over the country came
to St. Louis to rally at the Headquarters for Ascension Health.
Ascension has been engaging in anti-union behavior - including severely
under staffing hospitals - all over the country. Missouri Jobs with
Justice and allies joined workers to tell Ascension: "Put patients
before profits" and "Not just jobs - Jobs with Justice!"
Pictured is St. Louis Leadership Team members Steve Johnson
(left) and Martin Rafanan (right) speaking up for Nurses. They told
Ascension to give Nurses the staffing and resources need to do their
job - and respect their union!
Missouri JwJ and Allies Get Stood up by Rep. Todd Akin, Stand
up for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
On Wednesday, August 24, Missouri
Jobs with Justice
and allies held a Community Townhall Meeting with Representative Todd
Akin, which turned into
a march and rally at his nearby in-district
office.
After weeks of outreach and requests for meetings, Congressman Todd
Akin refused to meet with his constituents and community about our
concerns regarding
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. In the meantime, he has continued to take votes
that would drastically cut those programs and cost Missouri jobs.
But we want to ask him, "Rep.
Akin, Whose side are you on?"
So Missouri Jobs with Justice and allies, including Paraquad, American Federation
for Government Employees (AFGE), Missouri Pro-Vote, Missouri Health
Care for All and others asked him to join us at a
community townhall meeting just one block from his office.
Representative Akin sent a message that he wasn't going to join us, so
all 80 community members marched a few blocks to his office where we
stood in the 100+ degree heat and made clear that we will be heard!
Kirsten Dunham of Paraquad said the crowd, simply, "We must protect Medicare,
Medicaid and Social Security. These things matter to our community."
Missouri JwJ joins National Fight to Support 45,000 Striking
Verizon Workers
You've probably heard
about the 45,000 Verizon
workers who haven't been able to get a contract with
Verizon, and forced to
go on strike.
Workers struck on August 7th, because Verizon
is demanding huge
concessions that would roll back decades of wage and benefit gains.
We need to stand with our brothers and sisters to protect these
family-supporting jobs.
Missouri Jobs with Justice,
members and allies are walking picket lines in front of Verizon stores,
in solidarity with the striking CWA and IBEW workers on the east coast.
Solidarity pickets are
popping up all over the country.
Sign the online petition to tell
Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam to
stop his attack on the Middle Class and share the
company's success with those who made it possible.
What you probably don't know is that Verizon has punished the striking
workers by cancelling
their health care benefits. Find
out more about the strike here.
So far we've had hundreds
of people at two pickets - one in St. Louis and one in
Kansas City.
But there are move to follow. Check
out the Solidarity Calendar to find solidarity pickets in coming weeks.
2011 National Jobs with Justice Conference: It's Our Movement
Thirteen
Missouri Jobs with Justice staff, activists and leaders traveled to
Washington, DC for the 2011 National Jobs with Justice Conference
August 5-7. It was a great opportunity to share victories, compare
tactics and plan strategies for the next year with other JwJ
coalitions.
Many MO JwJ staff and leaders presented on workshops, trainings and
panels. Statewide Public Good Project Organizer Kelly Anthony
presented during all three workshop sessions on Saturday! St. Louis
Organizer Aaron Burnett,
Organizing Director Donnie
Morehouse, Communications Organizer Charlie Edelen,
Workers' Rights Board Co-Chair Joan
Suarez, and Leadership Development Trainer Joe Thomas all
presented in one or more sessions.
Check out all our pics from the conference on Flickr.
Community Groups, Federal Workers Rally to Tell Senator
Blunt: "Stop Giving Us a Raw Deal!"
Instead
of targeting Senator McCaskill like our rally two weeks ago, this time
we targeted Senator Roy Blunt and told him "Stop Giving Us a Raw Deal"
and remove cuts in
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from the proposed
federal budget. We also want to make sure Congress doesn't freeze wages and cut
pensions for federal employees, or eliminate federal jobs
Even in the rain, again, over
200 people came out in support on Thursday, July
7 to tell Senator Blunt to
protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the wages and jobs of
federal workers who deliver those services.
A
delegation was sent up to Senator Blunt's office and deliver our
message to his staff. KMOX/CBS interviewed AFGE member and MO JwJ
supporter Steve Hollis earlier that day. Listen to the interview here.
The
rally was organized by Missouri Jobs with Justice, American Federation
of Government Employees, Paraquad, Metropolitan Congregations United,
Misouri Pro-Vote, Missouri Health Care for All, GRO - GrassRoots
Organizing and The Missouri Budget Project.
Federal Workers and
Community Groups Rally to Tell Senator McCaskill: "Don't Cut Us a Raw
Deal on the Budget!"
Congress
is engaging in very high-stakes negotiations to bring the budget into
balance. Programs that American workers fought hard for, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social
Security, are on the chopping block. And Congress is
considering even more cuts to federal employees—freezing wages, cutting pensions
and eliminating federal jobs.
More than 200 workers and
community members united on Friday, June 27 to tell
Missouri’s Senators they must protect
Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the wages and jobs
of federal workers.
Workers didn’t create
our debt and budget problems, and we shouldn’t be asked to absorb all
the pain.
Check out the great video about the rally
and the budget.
Sen.
McCaskill met with a small group of workers and community leaders.
While she didn’t make firm commitments, McCaskill agreed that we need
to keep pressing on this looming threat to our jobs, health and
retirement and she agreed to work with us.
Jobs with Justice and our allies are sending a clear message to
Congress—we can’t fix
the budget with cuts and caps, and we must raise revenues.
It’s time to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the rich and to make big
corporations pay their fair share.
The rally and meeting were a collaboration of Missouri Jobs
with Justice, American Federation of Government Employees, Paraquad,
Missouri Health Care for All, Missouri Budget Project, Metropolitan
Congregations United, GRO—Grass Roots Organizing and Missouri
Pro-Vote.
"We Are One Missouri"
launches four media events around the state
Missouri Jobs with Justice
and allies planned four media events around the state to take place the
week of June 12, 2011.
The
events celebrated our victories of 2011 and set the stage for 2012.
Each event targeted one or two legislators who voted for Wisconsin-style attacks
on working families in 2011.
Although
many of our elected officials did the right thing and stood up for the
teachers, nurses, fire fighters and other public workers in their
district, some of them
sided with CEOs and corporate interests - even though
hundreds of their constituents urged them to support working families.
The events are taking place in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and
St. Joseph. Click here to see where and when
the events are taking place, and what legislators voted against working
families in 2011.
The
events are sponsored by MO Jobs with Justice, SEIU Local 1, MO NEA, MO
AFL-CIO, MO CWA, MO Pro-Vote, and AFSCME District Council 72.
The week-long Media Events got press in KWMU/KBIA/KCUR, People's World, the Independence Examiner, St. Joseph News Press, KY3
and KOLR10, KTTS,
and the Springfield News-Leader.
We Beat Back the 2011
Attacks
on the Middle Class!
Prep for 2012 begins today. Be part of
Missouri Jobs with Justice
While we successfully
fought off the attacks on working people this year we know 2012 won't
be any different.
That's why we need you to be part of Missouri Jobs with Justice. Can you give
today for JwJ to be stronger for 2012?
1) Preserved the Right to
Organize and Bargain Collectively
2) Protected the Minimum
Wage
3) Earnings Tax Victory
in St. Louis and Kansas City
4) Missouri Human Rights
Act Remains Strong
These attacks will continue for years to come. Your donation
means JwJ will be stronger than ever. That's why we're asking YOU to
give for 2012.
1)
Preserved the Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
-
Paycheck Deception JwJ collaborated with the AFL-CIO on
In-District Constituent Meetings with key Representatives and Senators,
organized volunteer canvasses and phone banks and moved key community
allies to April 28 Workers’ Memorial Day events statewide.
-
Right to Work for Less JwJ worked with our unions on major
rallies that mobilized over 5,000 statewide. JwJ made sure clergy,
non-union workers and other community supporters carried our
Message, “Stop Corporate Greed†to the public.
2)
Protected Minimum Wage
- Cost of Living Adjustment
Every year since labor passed a minimum wage increase by initiative in
2006, MO legislators have tried to repeal it. This year Jobs with
Justice activists went to the capitol to demand legislators listen to
the will of the people. More bi-partisan opposition than ever before
voted against the bill to repeal minimum wage.
- Back Door Repeal
The Missouri House tried to cut all funding to enforce child labor,
minimum wage and prevailing wage laws by defunding nine full-time
investigator positions from the Division of Labor Standards, removing
the entire Wage and Hour Program. Hundreds of your emails poured into
the Missouri Senate calling for their budget to fully reinstate all the
Department of Labor investigators for our state's Minimum Wage, Child
Labor and Prevailing Wage Laws. The Governor signed the budget that
reinstated the funding for seven inspectors to enforce these laws. This
is still a reduction from 9 inspectors to 7. Jobs with Justice will be
monitoring to determine how much this undermines law enforcement. It
is, however, a far cry from the elimination of the program passed in
the House budget. Because you stood up for what was right, together we
protected some of our most basic, fundamental labor laws
3) Earnings Tax
Victory in Kansas City and St. Louis
- Missouri JwJ, in
coalition with our allies, played a key role in organizing the victory
in April, where voters in Kansas City (78%) and St. Louis (89%)
overwhelmingly decided to retain their municipal earnings tax. Over 800
volunteers worked with JwJ to educate voters on the critical services
provided by the earnings tax and on the damage to public safety and
basic city services if the earnings tax was defeated.
4)
Protected the Missouri Human Rights Act
-
A top priority of corporate interests in the state this year, Senate
Bill 188 would have undermined key provisions of the Missouri Human
Rights Act, rolling back of vital protections for Missouri
workers. Protection from discrimination is a cornerstone of
workers’ rights. Along other civil rights, social justice and labor
organizations around the state, JwJ generated emails and calls to
Governor Nixon’s office telling him to veto the bill and he did.
First Ever "Save Our
Raise" Benefit Show a Huge Success
On
Friday, April 22 Kansas City Jobs with Justice held it's first ever
benefit concert for "Save Our Raise," Missouri Jobs with Justice's
campaign to save the minimum wage. Local rock bands Dream Wolf and Red
Kate performed to a packed crowd of over 100 people at the Gusto Lounge
(3810 Broadway Blvd, 64111).
Not only did the concert
raise $500, we also signed up over 30 new activsits for the campaign!
A huge THANK YOU
to KC JwJ Mobilization
Co-Chair Shawn Saving and Activist Molly Barlow for
organizing this tremendously successful event!
Missed the show? You can still support this important work.
Save
Our Raise is MO JwJ's campaign to protect the Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment
attached to Missouri's Minimum Wage that voters approved by 76% in
2006. This Adjustment allows our state's lowest paid workers' wages to
keep up with inflation. MO JwJ has been defending the Minimum Wage
against politicians and business interests ever since 2006. Learn more
at www.saveourraise.org.
You Won! Thank
you for standing up for our communities
St. Louis and
Kansas City decisively win E-tax victories
You did it. You and hundreds of activists,
working around the state, won a resounding victory.
Yesterday, voters retained the earnings taxes in Kansas City by 78% and St. Louis by 87.5%.
Working with our allies, we
stopped those who want to starve local government
of the necessary resources to maintain our state's two largest cities.
JwJ activists knocked on
doors, called their neighbors, rallied, and educated their fellow voters
at polling places for the November statewide and April elections.
Hundreds of us were glad to stand alongside ally organizations- labor
unions, neighborhood associations, congregations, elected officials,
and ward organizations- in a grassroots alliance that triumphed in an
anti-tax political climate.
Together, we will continue to fight to win.
St. Louis is Ready to Vote YES on Prop E
Two
hundred people rallied at the World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park on
Sunday, April 3rd in support of public workers and vital city services.
With the Prop E vote approaching this Tuesday, the event was the final
push after months of work educating the public about the importance of
passing Proposition E and retaining the Earnings Tax.
Speakers
included Mayor Francis Slay, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed,
St. Louis City Collector of Revenue Gregg Daly, State Senator Robin
Wright-Jones, 20th Ward Alderman Craig Schmid, Tumaini Meta from the
Organization for Black Struggle, 8th Ward Alderman Stephen Conway,
Representative Jamilah Nasheed and others.
Many organizations and unions
recruited for the event, and several local news stations were also
present. View photos from CBS.
Be Part of Nationwide "We Are One" Rallies
Check out this map to see all the events
happening across Missouri- then find a "We Are One" event near you!
There are events in Kansas
City, St. Louis, Warrensburg, Springfield, Poplar
Bluff and Cape Girardeau.
Join
us as we stand in solidarity with the workers of Wisconsin, Indiana,
Ohio and dozens of other states were corporate-backed politicians are
forcing anti-worker agendas- union busting and stripping collective
bargaining rights for public employees.
Beginning
with worship services over the weekend, and continuing through the week
of April 4th, unions, people of faith, civil and human rights
activists, students and more will host a range of community and
workplace based actions.
April 4th was
chosen because this was the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was
assassinated while standing up for the collective bargaining rights of
striking sanitation workers in Memphis, TN.
Missouri House Passes "Back Door Repeal" of Minimum Wage,
Child Labor and Prevailing Wage Laws
House
Budget Passed March 28 De-Funds Officials who Caught Employers Employin
and Injuring Children, Cheating Missouri Workers' Paychecks in 2010.
Wonder why State Senator Jane
Cunningham recently backed off her bill to repeal child labor laws? Maybe its because she found
another way.
The House Budget Proposal (HB7)
passed March 28 cuts all
funding to enforce child labor, minimum wage and prevailing wage laws by
defunding nine full-time investigator positions from the Division of
Labor Standards, removing the entire Wage and Hour Program.
What does this cut mean?
- Putting kids
to work.
There would be no enforcement of child labor laws. In 2010, there were
19 complaints investigated and the Division of Labor found over 450
violations and issued over $16,000 in penalties.
- Even less
money in the pockets of minimum wage workers.
There would be no enforcement of the minimum wage. Just last year over
700 complaints were filed and the Division of Labor was able to recover
nearly $200,000 for nearly 800 workers. That's money in the pockets of
low-income Missourians that goes right back into our state's economy.
- Irresponsible
contractors pocket the wages of hard-working Missourians.
There would be no enforcement of prevailing wage standards. In 2010,
over 400 complaints resulted in over $500,000 recovered for
hard-working Missourians.
We're Keeping Kansas City Alive!
On
Tuesday, March 22nd- Mayoral Election Day- over 30 volunteers joined
the Keep KC Alive Campaign to educate voters about the
importance of
the Kansas City Earnings Tax.
Strategically placed at the 18
polling places with the highest volume across the city, volunteers
distributed informational
leaflets detailing how vital the Earnings Tax is to our city, and asked
voters to "Vote YES on April 5!". Volunteers contacted over 1600 voters on Election Day!
Since December, Kansas City Jobs
with Justice has been working with the Keep KC Alive Campaign to
recruit, train and deploy volunteers to educate potential voters at
mayoral forums, candidate debates, and other public events about
the campaign to save the Kansas City Earnings Tax.
Thanks to all
the volunteers and don't forget,
KC city residents: Vote YES on April
5! Want to volunteer on April 5? Click HERE.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.keepkcalive.com
4300 Come to Rally Against Corporate Greed at Kiener
Plaza and tell Missouri Legislature, "We Are One!"
This may have been the rally of the year.
On a week's notice, St. Louis labor leaders and Jobs with Justice
brought out 4300 people
and packed Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis- to stand up
against Right-to-Work-for-Less legislation (SB 1), Minimum Wage Repeal (HB 61 and SB 110) Child Labor Repeal (SB 222), and the other
anti-workers legislation at the Missouri Capitol right now.
Carpenters,
laborers, pipefitters, boilermakers, teachers, autoworkers, teamsters,
janitors, nurses, policemen, glaziers, machinists, electricians,
insulators- just about every
local in the St. Louis metropolitan area was represented
at this rally.
Constant, booming "We-Are-One" chants
recurred throughout the event- before, after and during almost every
speaker. Speakers voiced their opposition to the attacks
on the middle class, tax breaks for the wealthy, tax incentives for
corporations and legislators who are overturning the will of the voters.
The
recently passed legislation in Wisconsin, which all but severed
collective bargaining rights for public employees, and the
Right-to-Work-for-Less Hearing in Jefferson City now scheduled for
Monday were surely reasons for such a massive turnout.
Chant leaders JwJ
St. Louis Organizer Aaron
Burnett And SEIU Local 1 Union Representative Kevin Oliver kicked
off the event.
Blessings were given by Pastor Teresea Danieley
and Father Richard
Creason.
Speakers included: St. Louis
Labor Council President Bob
Soutier as the MC, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Representative Lew Moye,
Parkway National Education Association President Joe Wanda Bozeman,
St. Louis Building Trades Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Aboussie,
Minimum Wage Activist Joe
Wicks and JwJ Communications Organizer Charlie Edelen. St.
Louis Mayor Fracis Slay even showed up and said a few words of support.
Check out the video and the
"We Are One" chanting, along with more pictures on Show
Me Progress website. There's a great collection of short
interviews and photos of the rally on Occasional Planet's blog. And a
powerful slideshow on FiredUp! Missouri's blog.
CWA 6355 and Kansas City Jobs with Justice Declare: "We Are
One!"
If
snow and hail didn’t stop Wisconsin, then a thunderstorm certainly wasn’t
going to keep Kansas City activists from the cause.
On Friday, March 4th at the downtown Fletcher Daniels
building, over 20 Kansas City JwJ activists and CWA 6355 members braved the elements to rally in
defense of the rights of public sector employees. Across
the country, there have been orchestrated attacks on public workers,
and here in Missouri the battle also rages.
However, Bradley Harmon, a delegate to the Kansas City JwJ
Organizing Committee and CWA 6355 leader who organized the rally, knows
the tide is changing.
He said, “Workers
have woken up, and have woken up a movement in this country to start
fighting back against the relentless attacks on workers’ rights!â€
Chanting “We are one!â€
and “Solidarity forever!â€
activists sought to raise awareness of the plight of workers and
continue to gain momentum and public visibility.
Activists and union members also publicly thanked Senator
Claire McCaskill for her support of collective bargaining rights for
public employees.
Solidarity
with
Wisconsin: Protecting our Minimum Wage
Over 100 people
braved the cold and came out to the shuttered Wal-Mart in
Town & Country (a St. Louis suburb) on Saturday, February 26.
Missouri Jobs with Justice, Missouri ProVote, Missouri AFL-CIO and
other organizations put on a unity rally- in solidarity with workers in
Wiscosin, Indiana and Ohio and their struggle with collective
bargaining. Part of our solidarity in their fight, was
putting feet on the ground in OUR fights here in Missouri.
After
a quick rally with a handful of speakers, including MO JwJ Director
Lara Granich, Minimum Wage activist and server Joe Wicks, Missouri
House Representative Gina Walsh, former State Senator Joan Bray and 5th
District County Councilman Pat Dolan,
folks went out to canvass and phone bank to protect our minimum wage.
About 20 people canvassed Jefferson County, Franklin County, St.
Charles County and West County to put pressure on legislators that had
not confirmed a NO vote on HB 61. Read about HB 61 at www.saveourraise.org.
"Its hard, its
hard to keep up with daily bills, food, rent, utilities,
gas to get to work, it's hard," said Joe Wicks, "And its sad to know
that these people who
are supposed to represent the people of Missouri are so dead set
against helping the people of Missouri."
The rally, canvass and phone bank was all over local news for
the rest of the weekend. Both Fox
2 and KSDK
Channel 5 gave us great coverage, interviewing Lara Granich,
Joe Wicks, and Vintage Vinyl owner Lew Prince.
Quit Playing Politics With Our Health Care!
On Tuesday, January 18, Voters and community groups sent a message to
Missouri Senate: Quit
playing politics with our Health Care! We support the Affordable Care
Act!
Over 60 voters
and many community groups supporting the Affordable Care Act
went to the Missouri Senate to tell legislators to stop playing
politics with our health care. The Senate Rules Committee had a hearing
in the Senate Lounge about a Resolution calling on Attorney General
Koster to sue the federal
government over the health reform law.
Bob
Minor, a member of Jobs with Justice's leadership team in Kansas City
expressed outrage for spending taxpayer money on political
stunts:
"We have hundreds
of families who are now insuring young adults under age 26
because the law gives us that choice. We
have thousands of retirees who
are getting free preventive care and annual exams in Madicare.
And these Senators are using taxpayer dollars to try to take away these
benefits."
Save Our
Raise!
House
Bill 61 and Senate Bill 110 would repeal the
minimum wage that YOU voted for in 2006!
Now is not the time to leave
our state's lowest paid workers behind!
Send an
email to your elected representatives to let them know that every penny counts. Save Our
Raise!
Go to www.SaveOurRaise.org
to learn more and tell your legislators to OPPOSE HB 61 and SB 110!
VICTORY For Express
Scripts Workers!!
After a months-long
struggle with the Express Scripts, Inc.,
SEIU workers with assistance from SEIU, Missouri Jobs with Justice, the Saint
Louis Area Workers' Rights Board and other
activists have forced ESI
to reverse
their decision to shutter all Bensalem, PA operations--- saving 400 union, family
supporting jobs
and providing a substantial severance package to 500 workers facing
layoff at
another plant in the city.
“This settlement will keep hundreds
of good
jobs here in Bensalem, and make sure anyone who gets laid off will be
able to
provide for their families in this harsh economy,†said Linda Chan, a
Pharmacy
Tech at the Marshall Lane facility, and a member of the SEIU Healthcare
bargaining committee. Express Scripts, Inc has been an extremely
profitable
company and is the 2nd biggest pharmacy benefits manager in the country.
SEIU members had been engaging in a
national campaign to put
pressure on ESI to maintain quality jobs in Bensalem when the company
announced
it would close both the Marshall Lane and Street Road Bensalem
facilities following the
workers’ overwhelming rejection of the company’s “last,
best,
final†offer.
In August, 50 ESI workers from Bensalem, Pennsylvania- facing severe
pay and
benefits cuts- drove to ESI headquarters in St. Louis to meet CEO
George Paz
face-to-face and protest the cuts, meeting with
members of the Saint Louis
Workers’ Rights Board while they were here.
In November,
three ESI workers were suspended for
reaching
out to ESI clients about the terrible way ESI was being managed, and
SEIU
workers contacted St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice’s Workers’
Rights
Board
again. The
Workers’ Rights Board agreed to hold an investigative hearing
on ESI’s worker abuse. An invitation was sent to Express Scripts CEO George
Paz, and workers from Pennsylvania were set to fly into
St. Louis and other ESI
workers from Harrisburg, PA and St. Louis were set to testify by phone.
Instead
of agreeing to come to the hearing, Paz decided to reopen negotiations-
and a
settlement was reached in the late hours- the day before the
Investigative
Hearing was to take place. Paz also agreed to reinstate the three
suspended
workers.
“This has been a very
difficult challenge… by
sticking
together we saved 400 good jobs for this community and won an excellent
severance package for laid off workers that most non-union workers
could only
dream about,†said Rickie Stemley, a Pharmacy Tech at the
Marshall Lane
facility.
Learn more at the SEIU website.
Read more by the St. Louis Business Journal.
Pinnacle Entertainment
Elected "Scrooge of the Year" in St. Louis!!
Rex Sinquefield
Elected "Scrooge of the Year" in Kansas City!
Congratulations
Kansas City on
beating St. Louis in Overall Votes for the 2nd consecutive year!
The Annual
Jobs with Justice Scrooge
of the Year Fundraisers and
"Holiday Party with an Attitude" was once again a great
success in St. Louis and Kansas City.
The rules are simple: One
dollar, One Vote. No Limits! Anyone,
anywhere in the state or country can vote for the 2010 Scrooge of the
year in St. Louis and Kansas City. Thank
you for
VOTING EARLY and OFTEN.
Learn
about the "Scrooge of the
Year" candidates for 2010 in St. Louis and Kansas
City
ST. LOUIS "SCROOGE OF THE
YEAR" ELECTION RESULTS!
Pinnacle Entertainment elected SCROOGE OF THE YEAR with 2544 votes!!
Rex Sinquefield closes out in 2nd place with 1910 votes!
St. Louis Tea Party Leadership surprises everyone with
3rd place- 505 votes!
Senator Roy Blunt finishes in 4th place- 370 votes.
Peabody Coal finishes 5th place with 279 votes.
Write-in Candidate Riverview Garden's Superintendent Clive Coleman squeaks
out 143 votes-
not bad for a write-in!
**Thanks
to everyone who participated in St. Louis' Scrooge Party- on-line or in
person! We had wonderful emcees, great competition and plenty of
company!
KANSAS CITY "SCROOGE OF
THE YEAR" ELECTION RESULTS!
Rex Sinquefield elected
SCROOGE OF THE YEAR with 2678
votes!!
Kris Kobach finishes a solid 2nd place with 1990 votes!
State Senator Rob Mayer places 3rd, with just under 1000
votes- 942 votes!
Senator Roy Blunt finishes in 4th place in both STL and
KC- 209 votes.
Postmasters Jack Potter and Patrick Donahoe rounds out
last place with 195
votes.
**Thanks
to everyone who supported Kansas City's Scrooge Party-on-line
or
in person! Emcee Bradley Harmon rocked the house and the games we had
were a high-spirited!
JwJ can't wait until NEXT YEAR'S Scrooge Parties, including their
funny,
often-raucous table-to-table campaigning and stump speeches:
Kansas
City
Scrooge of the Year Holiday Happy Hour
Monday, December
13, 2010
5:30-7:30 pm
IAFF 42
6320 Manchester
Kansas City, MO 64133
Kansas City
Candidates
Admission to both Happy Hours is $10 and includes 10 votes,
appetizers, and non-alcoholic drinks. Cash bar also available.
City Voters Decided! We Support
the Earnings Tax!
More than
500 volunteers
spent
countless hours educating voters about the dangers of Prop A.
We canvassed, educated and worked the polls. Although we are
all disappointed that Proposition A passed statewide—stripping
communities throughout the state of local control over their budget
revenues—a whopping 68%
of St. Louis City voters voted NO!
It’s a shame that Prop A proponents spent $11.7 million to find out
what St. Louis Voters think about the earnings tax—we told them to
butt
out.
JwJ members’ activism,
support and volunteer efforts delivered this
critical victory in St. Louis, and we will need to redouble our efforts
when the earnings tax becomes a ballot issue in April, 2010.
Working people, seniors and neighborhood organizations bonded together
to fight for police, fire protection, city services and local control.
Your votes opposed higher
sales and property taxes that would hit
working people hard. We must keep this momentum!
Kudos to the broad coalition of Say No
to A endorsers—our allies in the
faith community, business community and many community groups worked
together to defeat Prop A in St. Louis.
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green Speaks Out Against Prop A
at the
Annual WRB Meeting
On
Friday, October 1, 2010 St. Louis City Comptroller, Darlene
Green, addressed the annual St. Louis Workers' Rights Board
Meeting at the Old North Restoration Group office in North St. Louis. Green
called on area leaders to oppose Proposition A,
calling the measure "ill-conceived" and "disastrous" in a time
of city employee furloughs, service reductions and increased service
fees. She also listed numerous ways losing the earnings tax,
which makes up 1/3 of the cities budget, would negatively affect the
City and the region including drastic cuts to public safety.
The St. Louis Area Workers’ Rights Board combats the lack of
an adequate legal framework to support worker and economic justice
issues. They harness the power of prominent
individuals to investigate complaints, hold public hearings, issue
public statements or undertake other activities which put key issues in
the public spotlight WRB members are prominent citizens,
whose names and/or official positions carry moral authority in the St.
Louis community. Current WRB members include clergy,
professors, community group leaders and elected officials.
Area
Congregations to Preach on Workers' Issues This Labor Day Weekend
Each Labor Day weekend,
in cities across
the country, thousands of congregations participate in Labor
in the Pulpits / on the Bimah / in the Minbar. The
goals of Labor in the Pulpits are to educate congregations about
connections between faith and work, inspire new friendships between
people in religious communities and unions, present congregations with
opportunities for acting on the social teachings of their faith groups,
and give union members a deeper experience of their faith in action.
The
2010 Labor in the Pulpits/ on the
Bimah/ in the Minbar program focuses on implementation of
health care reform to help congregations understand the impact the
health care reform will have on working people, seniors and families.
In March of 2010, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act.
Still many people are confused and some misinformed about what the new
law will actually do for our families and communities
Protecting Our
Health Care Victory: What's Next?
On Tuesday, August 3rd,
Missourians voted and passed
Proposition C by a 71% of the vote. This anti-health reform initiative
was confusing for a lot of people. It was put on the ballot by
politicians and lobbyists to protect insurance companies and to
influence elections. Proposition C posed a very narrow
question in a low turnout election. In addition, the measure
has no real effect on our lives or our health insurance status.
We're focused on moving forward with implementation of the new
health reform law that will guarantee that we can get health insurance
even if we get sick or lose our jobs. When fully in place in
2014, health insurance companies will not be able to cap our benefits
if we need medical care and there will be limits on what they can
charge us in premiums and deductibles. And this year more than 79,000
Missouri small businesses and non profits are eligible for tax credits
to help pay for insurance premiums for workers!
We're glad to have the election behind us so we can focus on
the real work of educating the community. It's important for all of us
to keep talking about what's really in the Affordable Care Act.
Looking forward!
We will be celebrating the important reforms that will go into effect
next month:
- Insurance companies will not be allowed to turn children
down because they have a pre-existing condition and they must cover the
medical care relating to those conditions (this will happen for adults,
too in 2014).
- Insurance companies must allow parents to keep young adults
on their insurance policy until the age of 26. The young adult does not
have to be a dependent of the parent(s), does not have to live with the
parent(s), and may be married.
- Insurance companies will not be allowed to cancel policies
when people get sick (rescission) except in cases of fraudulent
application.
- New group health plans cannot charge co-pays and
deductibles for preventive care and may not discriminate in favor of
higher wage employees.
- The law completely bans lifetime limits and tightly
restricts new plans use of annual limits.
- A temporary program to help offset the costs of employers
who provide health insurance for retirees between the age of 55-64
begins.
Protect this victory: If you want
to learn more about the immediate effects above, or to get more
involved in our health care organizing, please contact health care
organizer, Amy Smoucha, amy@mojwj.org
or 314-608-3917.
Postal
Workers Rally to Save Saturday Service
On
July 12, 2010 Jobs with Justice
Activists and Leaders joined the America Postal Workers Union for an
informational picket to save Saturday mail delivery. Congress is
currently considering whether to eliminate Saturday service and only
delivery mail 5 days a week.
Reducing service would weaken the United States Postal
Service’s ability to serve every American at an inexpensive, uniform
rate, and could eventually lead to privatization. Millions of Americans
could no longer rely on Saturday delivery to receive
prescriptions, checks, or other important mail and outside couriers
could step in and require anyone that needed something delivered on a
Saturday to be charged more.
Tell
your Representative to Save Saturday Service.
Read more about the picket HERE
and HERE
Join Us! Tell Pinnacle Entertainment to "DO THE RIGHT THING"!
The President Casino is closing
on June 28, 2010
and Pinnacle Entertainment, which operates The President Casino,
Lumiere Place Casino, and the new River City Casino, is refusing
to keep it’s promises to the Presidents 220 workers.
Pinnacle promised priority hiring at the
Lumiere Place and River City Casinos and a retention
bonus or severance package for workers who remained
until closing.
Initially Pinnacle refused to negotiate transfers
or priority hiring at their other two locations for 220
employees.It’s
time for Pinnacle Entertainment to stand up and be a
responsible employer to its workers and the community.
Tell them to keep their promises made to the
President Casino workers!
Come rally with UNITE HERE Local 74, St.
Louis Area Jobs with Justice, Community leaders, and
workers to tell Pinnacle to be responsible to their
workers and the community!
"DO THE RIGHT
THING" RALLY
Monday, June 28, 2010
5:00 PM
The President Casino
For more information go to
www.ShameOnPinnacle.org
Good News, Bad News for MO Workers
Sunday, May 2 was the deadline to turn in
signatures
for November 2010 ballot initiatives in
Missouri.
Missouri Jobs with Justice and its members organize every year
to insure the values and interests of Missouri's workers are
represented in this process.
2010 sees both good news and bad news for
Missouri
workers on the November 2010 ballot.
- The GOOD NEWS the
so-called "Save Our Secret (SOS) Ballot" initiative
failed to turn in signatures to qualify this
anti-democratic initiative for the ballot. Read
more
- The BAD NEWS is that the Millionaire
Tax Cut – the Earnings Tax
initiative did turn in enough signatures that it will
likely qualify for the November 2010 statewide ballot. Read
more about this reckless threat to
essential public services in our state's two biggest economic
centers
Find
out more about these initiatives and what they mean to Missouri.
Activists Tell Big Banks "Enough is Enough"
On Tuesday, April 27
members of Kansas City Jobs with Justice,
SEIU Local 1 and GRO participated in National
People's Action's "Showdown in the Heartland."
Hundreds of activists marched through Kansas City to tell
Bank of America and all Big Banks "ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH"!
Americans are demanding that the big banks take
responsibility for the havoc they created and stop stonewalling
the passage of common-sense financial reform that protects
consumers and ensures they can't destroy our economy
again.
This demonstration in the heart of Kansas City's financial
district included activists
from Missouri, Kansas
& Iowa and kick off a week of actions
to hold Big Banks accountable in San Francisco, New York and
Charlotte, NC.
Read more about the "Showdown
in the Heartland" HERE and HERE
VICTORY:
Landmark Health Care
Reform is a victory for
working people!!
You called Congress, canvassed your
neighbors, raised
awareness, money and power . . . all in support of
historic legislation to reform and improve our health care system.
Yesterday, by a
vote of 219-212,
the US House
of Representatives passed historic health care reform.
The measure will soon be signed into law by the President.
Final legislation reduces
the
deficit, expands
health coverage to 32 million Americans, strengthens Medicare and
Medicaid, and makes health coverage more affordable for all of us!
Now it’s time to call Congressmen Cleaver,
Carnahan, and Clay
at 1-866-922-4970 to tell them THANK
YOU for voting for
Health Care Reform!
Our work in Missouri ensuring that reform is
implemented is
beginning already, and we will need your help to bring
this victory home. DONATE to
Jobs with Justice health care organizing project to shore up our
resources for the state fight.
JOIN US
in St. Louis for a
CELEBRATION
tonight,
Monday, 3/22 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust
Street, downtown St. Louis.
http://www.schlafly.com/map.taproom.html
To RSVP
or for more information contact Amy
Smoucha amy@mojwj.org
Find out what health care reform means for
Missouri's families
and communities CLICK HERE
Register Today for 2010 Building JwJ Leadership
Program
There
will be two sessions this
year.
Spring session
will be Friday, March
12 through Sunday, March 14 in Kansas
City, MO.
Fall session will be
Friday, September 10
through Sunday, September 12 in St. Louis,
MO.
Missouri's
Building Jobs with Justice Leadership Development
Program provides leaders insight
into organizing's key concepts and
skills. Community organizing
principles, as first
articulated and
carried out by Saul Alinsky in Chicago, encouraged leaders to act
together to create powerful organizations and win on issues they care
about. Registration
deadline for the spring session is February 12,
2010. Registration forms can be submitted online HERE
or mailed to the JwJ office using the form in the
brochure HERE.
Participants move through a series of sessions
including such
topics as: building relationships, understanding power, the meaning and
understanding of self interest, issues and actions, and creating
winnable campaigns. This
training builds a stronger, more powerful
movement for Jobs with Justice in Missouri.
Full
Tuition is
$500 per participant, which
includes lodging,
refreshments and materials. The
discount for JwJ Member Organizations
and Sustaining Individual Members (who give to JwJ monthly on their
credit or debit card, sign up to be a
Sustainer)
and
their members is $250. Those who cannot afford
tuition out-of-pocket can work with JwJ staff to fundraise their
tution. Details on the "fundraising option" are in the program's brochure.
You can register
and make a payment online.
All questions
should be directed
to Jennifer Rafanan,
314-644-0466, ext 15.
St. Louis
and Kansas City
JwJ both name 2009 "Scrooge of the Year"
This
year’s
winner in St.
Louis is Steve Robins, President of G.S. Robins
in St. Louis nominated by Teamsters 688. Campaigning in
full force were
G.S. Robin’s workers,
members of Teamsters 688
who are currently on strike.
Learn
more about this year's "Scrooge of the Year" party and winner in St.
Louis
This year's winner in
Kansas City was
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson,
nominated by
CWA Local 6360. Stephenson led the charge to
bargain a
contract that slashed health care benefits, turned its back on
retirees and instituted widespread layoffs.
Learn
more about this year's "Scrooge of the Year" party and winner in Kansas
City .
Missouri JwJ Workers' Rights Board releases a
report on the
American Red Cross
Posted October 8, 2009
On Thursday, Oct. 8 We
told the American Red Cross "Our blood
supply is too important to cut corners!"
Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights
Board released a national report today that raises
concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood
supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products.
Members of the Workers' Rights Board also hand delivered the reports to
the St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross.
TAKE
ACTION NOW! You
too can tell the American Red
Cross "Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!"
The investigative report, which also details
the
treatment of Red Cross employees and the impact this has on the
organization's work, underscores the need for a new round of reforms at
the troubled organization.
“Few national institutions have a prouder name
or a more
storied
history than the American Red Cross,†writes Philip Dine, an
award-winning labor reporter and the author of the report. “But many
frontline blood workers see the Red Cross as an employer
that is increasingly determined to cut expenses and increase revenues,
even to the potential detriment of donor safety, employee wellbeing and
the security of the nation’s blood supply.â€
Speakers at the event include State
Representative, the Reverend James Morris, Missouri House District 58,
Red Cross Workers James Plotts and Mary McDougall, and Joan Suarez,
Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board Chair.
Read the full report here.
MO JwJ Leaders Head to DC for Employee Free
Choice
Posted September 14, 2009
The Missouri delegation includes:Jerry
King,
St. Louis Workers Rights Board and real estate developer; Christine
Grande, Human Rights Office of the Catholic Diocese of
Kansas City - St. Joseph; Rhonda Perry, a
family farmer from Howard County and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center
as well as JwJ State Board member; and Linda Meyer,
former reporter of the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. Meyer
was part of leading a union organizing campaign at the Suburban
Journals that illustrates perfectly the need for the Employee Free
Choice Act.
"Working people should have power to establish
equal footing
in their place of employment, in order to pursue a better quality of
life, liberty, and happiness," says Reverend Walter
Maddox, Lane Tabernacle CME Church
who visited earlier this year with Congressmen William
"Lacy" Clay about supporting the Employee Free Choice
Act. "If we do not fight for working families, we will lose that part
of the American Dream."
Jobs with Justice celebrates Labor Day by
focusing on Health
Care.
Posted September 10, 2009
On Monday, September 7
Jobs with
Justice Leaders and Staff participated in Labor Day celebrations across
the state.JwJ's
top priority for this year’s celebration was to help raise the
visibility of health care as a key issue for working people.
Leaders and Staff worked hard canvassing the crowd in St. Louis and
organizing a health care reform “yard sign-making†table for other
participants in the parade in Kansas City.
CLICK
HERE and
HERE
to find out how our visibility work helped the Labor Day
coverage include a critical policy issue of the day .
Jobs with Justice also sends a
great THANKS
TO OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT for
their hard work organizing the parade and being welcoming to allies
like JwJ as part of their festivities.
St Louis Casino workers bring in
their own
“Lethal Weaponâ€
Posted on August 10, 2009
On Sunday, August 9
workers from
the Lumiere and President
Casinos had reason to stand tall as they
learned the National Labor Relations board handed down a scathing
ruling against their employer, Pinnacle Entertainment. The
rulings call on Pinnacle to finally begin bargaining with the
workers’ union, Workers United Local 74. The workers and
their union had an “all star†cast of support on hand, including
actor
Danny Glover
(pictured here). Also on hand were members of the St.
Louis Workers Rights board, elected officials and area union leaders
from throughout the labor movement.
MISSOURI'S SERVERS GET A RAISE
TOMORROW –
THANKS TO YOU!
Posted July 23, 2009
Tomorrow the federal
minimum wage
is increasing
to $7.25/hour.
And thanks to Proposition B, passed overwhelming with your help in
Missouri in 2006, waiters and waitresses around Missouri will also get
a raise. Their minimum wage is 50% of Missouri's minimum wage for
non-tipped workers.
This last legislative session Jobs
with Justice
and the
waiters and waitresses of the "Save
Our Tips" campaign (see picture at
right) narrowly defeated state legislation that would have excluded
waiters and waitresses from increases in the minimum wage.
Because of that successful campaign nearly 60,000
waiters and waitresses will get a raise tomorrow.
But the Battle
is
Coming Again
Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka) vowed to
re-introduce
legislation to
exclude
tipped employees from future minimum wage increases – maybe even CUT
their pay back to the federal minimum of $2.13/hour! With
your help, JwJ and the
waiters and waitresses of the "Save Our Tips"
campaign will be ready to go BACK to the Capitol and defend their
minimum wage.
Here's how you can help:
Donate
just $20
today to help raise $2000 for a Missouri server lobby day to
protecttheir wages when the attacks begin next session (or
you can donate through our Facebook
page)
Visit the Save
Our Tips website for more information and to find out how you
can continue to help.
Visit
the
Missouri
Department of Labor
for more information
on
tomorrow's
minimum wage increase.
CWA Informational Picket
Posted July 7, 2009
On Tuesday, July 7
- We told
AT&T to
give workers and retirees a fair contract.
KC JwJ joined CWA members in an
informational
picket at
AT&T in Independence, MO. CWA is fighting for a fair contract
that respects retirees and protects health care for all workers’
families.
For more on this
important fight,
visit MO JwJ
Member
Organization
CWA
Local 6360
online.
June 17 Rally for the Employee
Free Choice Act
Posted June 19,
2009
On Wednesday, June
17 - We told
Elected
officials To support the Employee Free Choice Act and help re-build our
economy.
Kansas City Jobs with Justice and
the Kansas
City AFL-CIO,
along with countless unions, community groups, activists and elected
officials rallied on June 17 in support of the Employee Free Choice
Act.
Almost 150
Jobs
with Justice
Activists and allies gathered in
the parking lot of Home Depot to remind elected officials how
critical the Employee Free Choice Act is to protecting the rights of
workers and rebuilding our economy.
Hear
a news report on the rally from Heartland Labor Forum on KKFI
ClickHere
and Here
for articles on the Rally
Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act
You Did It!! Missouri JwJ members
Saved Our Tips
Posted May 29, 2009
The waiters and
waitresses in
Missouri will NOT
have to
deal with a paycut during this economic crisis. Despite
the best efforts of some Missouri legislators, the waiters and
waitresses in Missouri united with their allies through Jobs with
Justice and defeated Rep. Tim Jones' (R-Eureka) bill to weaken the
minimum wage for tipped employees.
In 2006, 76.4%
of Missouri voters
passed
Proposition B which
increased
the wage for tipped employees. The ballot initiative passed in every
single Missouri county by 16 points or more. Since then, business
interests and their allies in the legislators have tried to chip away
at the minimum wage continually.
During the last 4
months of the
legislative
session you
sent thousands of emails, made calls, and lobbied your legislators and
they heard you loud and clear. Thanks to tremendous
pressure the bill
died in the Senate as the legislative session came to a close on May 15.
THEY'LL BE BACK AND
WE'LL BE READY!
The restaurant industry and its
lobbyists were
clear that they
are not
done trying to pick the pockets of their waiters and waitresses. We
expect to see another bill to undermine the tipped employee minimum
wage next session so JwJ and its leaders will continue
to strengthen our network of waiters, waitresses and supporters of
working people throughout the state to protect FAIR
WAGES FOR SERVERS
Go
HERE to learn
more about leaders
that gave key support to this campaign.
Read more from the JwJ Solidarity Calendar.
Visit the St.
Louis Jobs with Justice site.
Visit the Kansas City Jobs
with Justice site
MO JwJ and Allies Rally and March with Occupy St. Louis
Missouri
Jobs with Justice and allies joined Occupy St. Louis for a "We Are One
- We Are the 99%" Rally and March downtown this past Friday, October
14. Four
hundred rallied in Kiener Plaza, and a thousand strong marched
to the Bank of America, then to the Arch grounds, and back to Kiener
Plaza.At Bank of America, their role in the 2008 financial crises and ensuing rampant foreclures were highlighted. At the Arch grounds, nearby bridges that need repairs were pointed out as a way to put millions of Americans back to work - by public works projects repairing our public structures.
Gary Elliott, of MOJwJ member organization Eastern Missouri Laborers' District Council, was quoted on KSDK,
"I think banks are sitting on a lot of money that they're not wanting to put out. They're basically squeezing the small businesses that everybody agrees is the economic engine of this country, yet they won't give them loans. They give super loans to the big companies, but yet we had the bank bailouts."
Steve Johnson, Organizing Committee Co-Chair for St. Louis area Jobs with Justice and Organizer with Teamsters Local 688, summed it up nicely: "I think people are tired of their houses falling into foreclosure while the rich are getting richer,"
The rally was the first big event organized with Occupy St. Louis and labor groups in St. Louis. Earlier in the week, several unions endorsed the overall message of Occupy St. Louis, which sees widespread negative effects of corporate greed, a widening gap in equality, and over 30 years of stagnated wages (when adjusted for inflation).
The event was organized by MO JwJ, Occupy St. Louis, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Missouri AFL-CIO, St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, St. Louis Labor Council, SEIU and other unions.
The rally and march was covered by many major media outlets in the city. Read the articles by Channel 5 KSDK, Channel 4 KMOV, the Post-Dispatch, and the Beacon.
MO JwJ and Allies Rally for Workers all Across the State
The week started on Monday,
09/26, at the Ritiz Carlton where New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie was having a $10,000/plate lunch fundraiser, to help him
"transform America." Governor Christie is known for his
anti-union, anti-public employee views and for restricting the
bargaining rights for tens of thousands of hard-working New Jersey
workers.
We wanted to let Gov. Christie know that his anti-union ideas are NOT welcome in Missouri.
Led by CWA Local 6355, AFSCME and UNITE HERE, about 40 demonstrators marched to the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, chanting, "Go Home Christie" and "Just Say No to Christie’s Lies, Defend Our Right to Organize".
Later that day, activists and community leaders joined Making Change at Walmart to educate Walmart workers about the OUR Walmart campaign. We talked to dozens of Walmart workers at 9 stores in South, West and North St. Louis County. Learn more about Making Change at Walmart and OUR Walmart. Sign up to support their "For Respect" campaign.
On Tuesday, 09/27,
member organization American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and allies
held a National Day of Action in cities all over the United States. The
National Day of Action brought attention to HR 1351, federal
legislation that would allow the United States Postal Service to fix
its financial problems at no expense to taxpayers.
The National Day of Action was organized by all the postal workers unions: the APWU, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), National Postal Mailhandlers Union (NPMHU), and National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA). Rallies were held both in Kansas City and St. Louis
In St. Louis, APWU District Area Local President Fred Wolfmeyer, and HR 1351 Co-Sponsor Congressman Russ Carnahan both spoke in favor of the bill. Activists and other union members came out in solidarity, and to show their support for the vital services postal workers provide of delivering mail and medicine in a timely manner.In Kansas City, Congressmen Graves and Yoder's offices were targeted, hoping to encourage the legislators to support the federal legislation and the USPS.
On Wednesday, there was
another day of double rallies. First, member
organization Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1
kicked off their negotiations for over 150,000 janitors and cleaners
nationwide with a National Day of Action in 29 cities, including St. Louis and Kansas
City.
The union had the National Day of Action to show strength going into bargaining. Their workers want to protect the pay and benefits gains they’ve earned, and bargain for more. Missouri Jobs with Justice activists and leaders came out in solidarity with the workers.
That same afternoon, member organization Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 335 held a rally at Missouri American Water Company’s office in St. Louis.
UWUA Local 335 has had an ongoing struggle with Missouri American Water Company, who is trying to transfer family-supporting, skilled, union jobs to low-paying, non-union facilities. Further, they want to consolidate jobs- that would compromise customer service, lead to longer wait times and eliminate good paying jobs for the St. Louis area.
The water workers are keeping this struggle in the public eye with this rally at Missouri American Water Company.
And on Thursday,
09/29, Registered Nurses from all over the country came
to St. Louis to rally at the Headquarters for Ascension Health.
Ascension has been engaging in anti-union behavior - including severely
under staffing hospitals - all over the country. Missouri Jobs with
Justice and allies joined workers to tell Ascension: "Put patients
before profits" and "Not just jobs - Jobs with Justice!"
Pictured is St. Louis Leadership Team members Steve Johnson (left) and Martin Rafanan (right) speaking up for Nurses. They told Ascension to give Nurses the staffing and resources need to do their job - and respect their union!
Missouri JwJ and Allies Get Stood up by Rep. Todd Akin, Stand up for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
On Wednesday, August 24, Missouri
Jobs with Justice
and allies held a Community Townhall Meeting with Representative Todd
Akin, which turned into
a march and rally at his nearby in-district
office.After weeks of outreach and requests for meetings, Congressman Todd Akin refused to meet with his constituents and community about our concerns regarding Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. In the meantime, he has continued to take votes that would drastically cut those programs and cost Missouri jobs.
But we want to ask him, "Rep. Akin, Whose side are you on?"
So Missouri Jobs with Justice and allies, including Paraquad, American Federation for Government Employees (AFGE), Missouri Pro-Vote, Missouri Health Care for All and others asked him to join us at a community townhall meeting just one block from his office.
Representative Akin sent a message that he wasn't going to join us, so all 80 community members marched a few blocks to his office where we stood in the 100+ degree heat and made clear that we will be heard!
Kirsten Dunham of Paraquad said the crowd, simply, "We must protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. These things matter to our community."
Missouri JwJ joins National Fight to Support 45,000 Striking Verizon Workers
You've probably heard
about the 45,000 Verizon
workers who haven't been able to get a contract with
Verizon, and forced to
go on strike.Workers struck on August 7th, because Verizon is demanding huge concessions that would roll back decades of wage and benefit gains. We need to stand with our brothers and sisters to protect these family-supporting jobs.
Missouri Jobs with Justice, members and allies are walking picket lines in front of Verizon stores, in solidarity with the striking CWA and IBEW workers on the east coast. Solidarity pickets are popping up all over the country.
Sign the online petition to tell Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam to stop his attack on the Middle Class and share the company's success with those who made it possible.
What you probably don't know is that Verizon has punished the striking workers by cancelling their health care benefits. Find out more about the strike here.
So far we've had hundreds of people at two pickets - one in St. Louis and one in Kansas City. But there are move to follow. Check out the Solidarity Calendar to find solidarity pickets in coming weeks.
2011 National Jobs with Justice Conference: It's Our Movement
Thirteen
Missouri Jobs with Justice staff, activists and leaders traveled to
Washington, DC for the 2011 National Jobs with Justice Conference
August 5-7. It was a great opportunity to share victories, compare
tactics and plan strategies for the next year with other JwJ
coalitions. Many MO JwJ staff and leaders presented on workshops, trainings and panels. Statewide Public Good Project Organizer Kelly Anthony presented during all three workshop sessions on Saturday! St. Louis Organizer Aaron Burnett, Organizing Director Donnie Morehouse, Communications Organizer Charlie Edelen, Workers' Rights Board Co-Chair Joan Suarez, and Leadership Development Trainer Joe Thomas all presented in one or more sessions.
Check out all our pics from the conference on Flickr.
Community Groups, Federal Workers Rally to Tell Senator Blunt: "Stop Giving Us a Raw Deal!"
Instead
of targeting Senator McCaskill like our rally two weeks ago, this time
we targeted Senator Roy Blunt and told him "Stop Giving Us a Raw Deal"
and remove cuts in
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from the proposed
federal budget. We also want to make sure Congress doesn't freeze wages and cut
pensions for federal employees, or eliminate federal jobsEven in the rain, again, over 200 people came out in support on Thursday, July 7 to tell Senator Blunt to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the wages and jobs of federal workers who deliver those services.
A delegation was sent up to Senator Blunt's office and deliver our message to his staff. KMOX/CBS interviewed AFGE member and MO JwJ supporter Steve Hollis earlier that day. Listen to the interview here.
The rally was organized by Missouri Jobs with Justice, American Federation of Government Employees, Paraquad, Metropolitan Congregations United, Misouri Pro-Vote, Missouri Health Care for All, GRO - GrassRoots Organizing and The Missouri Budget Project.
Federal Workers and Community Groups Rally to Tell Senator McCaskill: "Don't Cut Us a Raw Deal on the Budget!"
Congress
is engaging in very high-stakes negotiations to bring the budget into
balance. Programs that American workers fought hard for, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social
Security, are on the chopping block. And Congress is
considering even more cuts to federal employees—freezing wages, cutting pensions
and eliminating federal jobs.
More than 200 workers and community members united on Friday, June 27 to tell Missouri’s Senators they must protect Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the wages and jobs of federal workers. Workers didn’t create our debt and budget problems, and we shouldn’t be asked to absorb all the pain. Check out the great video about the rally and the budget.
Sen. McCaskill met with a small group of workers and community leaders. While she didn’t make firm commitments, McCaskill agreed that we need to keep pressing on this looming threat to our jobs, health and retirement and she agreed to work with us.
Jobs with Justice and our allies are sending a clear message to Congress—we can’t fix the budget with cuts and caps, and we must raise revenues. It’s time to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the rich and to make big corporations pay their fair share.
The rally and meeting were a collaboration of Missouri Jobs with Justice, American Federation of Government Employees, Paraquad, Missouri Health Care for All, Missouri Budget Project, Metropolitan Congregations United, GRO—Grass Roots Organizing and Missouri Pro-Vote.
"We Are One Missouri" launches four media events around the state
Missouri Jobs with Justice
and allies planned four media events around the state to take place the
week of June 12, 2011. The events celebrated our victories of 2011 and set the stage for 2012. Each event targeted one or two legislators who voted for Wisconsin-style attacks on working families in 2011.
Although many of our elected officials did the right thing and stood up for the teachers, nurses, fire fighters and other public workers in their district, some of them sided with CEOs and corporate interests - even though hundreds of their constituents urged them to support working families.
The events are taking place in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Joseph. Click here to see where and when the events are taking place, and what legislators voted against working families in 2011.
The events are sponsored by MO Jobs with Justice, SEIU Local 1, MO NEA, MO AFL-CIO, MO CWA, MO Pro-Vote, and AFSCME District Council 72.
The week-long Media Events got press in KWMU/KBIA/KCUR, People's World, the Independence Examiner, St. Joseph News Press, KY3 and KOLR10, KTTS, and the Springfield News-Leader.
We Beat Back the 2011 Attacks on the Middle Class!
Prep for 2012 begins today. Be part of Missouri Jobs with Justice
While we successfully
fought off the attacks on working people this year we know 2012 won't
be any different. That's why we need you to be part of Missouri Jobs with Justice. Can you give today for JwJ to be stronger for 2012?
1) Preserved the Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
2) Protected the Minimum Wage
3) Earnings Tax Victory in St. Louis and Kansas City
4) Missouri Human Rights Act Remains Strong
These attacks will continue for years to come. Your donation means JwJ will be stronger than ever. That's why we're asking YOU to give for 2012.
1) Preserved the Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
- Paycheck Deception JwJ collaborated with the AFL-CIO on In-District Constituent Meetings with key Representatives and Senators, organized volunteer canvasses and phone banks and moved key community allies to April 28 Workers’ Memorial Day events statewide.
- Right to Work for Less JwJ worked with our unions on major rallies that mobilized over 5,000 statewide. JwJ made sure clergy, non-union workers and other community supporters carried our
Message, “Stop Corporate Greed†to the public.
2) Protected Minimum Wage
- Cost of Living Adjustment Every year since labor passed a minimum wage increase by initiative in 2006, MO legislators have tried to repeal it. This year Jobs with Justice activists went to the capitol to demand legislators listen to the will of the people. More bi-partisan opposition than ever before voted against the bill to repeal minimum wage.
- Back Door Repeal The Missouri House tried to cut all funding to enforce child labor, minimum wage and prevailing wage laws by defunding nine full-time investigator positions from the Division of Labor Standards, removing the entire Wage and Hour Program. Hundreds of your emails poured into the Missouri Senate calling for their budget to fully reinstate all the Department of Labor investigators for our state's Minimum Wage, Child Labor and Prevailing Wage Laws. The Governor signed the budget that reinstated the funding for seven inspectors to enforce these laws. This is still a reduction from 9 inspectors to 7. Jobs with Justice will be monitoring to determine how much this undermines law enforcement. It is, however, a far cry from the elimination of the program passed in the House budget. Because you stood up for what was right, together we protected some of our most basic, fundamental labor laws
3) Earnings Tax Victory in Kansas City and St. Louis
- Missouri JwJ, in coalition with our allies, played a key role in organizing the victory in April, where voters in Kansas City (78%) and St. Louis (89%) overwhelmingly decided to retain their municipal earnings tax. Over 800 volunteers worked with JwJ to educate voters on the critical services provided by the earnings tax and on the damage to public safety and basic city services if the earnings tax was defeated.
4) Protected the Missouri Human Rights Act
- A top priority of corporate interests in the state this year, Senate Bill 188 would have undermined key provisions of the Missouri Human Rights Act, rolling back of vital protections for Missouri workers. Protection from discrimination is a cornerstone of workers’ rights. Along other civil rights, social justice and labor organizations around the state, JwJ generated emails and calls to Governor Nixon’s office telling him to veto the bill and he did.
First Ever "Save Our Raise" Benefit Show a Huge Success
On
Friday, April 22 Kansas City Jobs with Justice held it's first ever
benefit concert for "Save Our Raise," Missouri Jobs with Justice's
campaign to save the minimum wage. Local rock bands Dream Wolf and Red
Kate performed to a packed crowd of over 100 people at the Gusto Lounge
(3810 Broadway Blvd, 64111).
Not only did the concert raise $500, we also signed up over 30 new activsits for the campaign!
A huge THANK YOU to KC JwJ Mobilization Co-Chair Shawn Saving and Activist Molly Barlow for organizing this tremendously successful event!
Missed the show? You can still support this important work.
Save Our Raise is MO JwJ's campaign to protect the Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment attached to Missouri's Minimum Wage that voters approved by 76% in 2006. This Adjustment allows our state's lowest paid workers' wages to keep up with inflation. MO JwJ has been defending the Minimum Wage against politicians and business interests ever since 2006. Learn more at www.saveourraise.org.
You Won! Thank you for standing up for our communities
St. Louis and Kansas City decisively win E-tax victories
You did it. You and hundreds of activists,
working around the state, won a resounding victory.
Yesterday, voters retained the earnings taxes in Kansas City by 78% and St. Louis by 87.5%. Working with our allies, we stopped those who want to starve local government of the necessary resources to maintain our state's two largest cities.
JwJ activists knocked on doors, called their neighbors, rallied, and educated their fellow voters at polling places for the November statewide and April elections. Hundreds of us were glad to stand alongside ally organizations- labor unions, neighborhood associations, congregations, elected officials, and ward organizations- in a grassroots alliance that triumphed in an anti-tax political climate.
Together, we will continue to fight to win.
St. Louis is Ready to Vote YES on Prop E
Two
hundred people rallied at the World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park on
Sunday, April 3rd in support of public workers and vital city services.
With the Prop E vote approaching this Tuesday, the event was the final
push after months of work educating the public about the importance of
passing Proposition E and retaining the Earnings Tax.
Speakers included Mayor Francis Slay, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, St. Louis City Collector of Revenue Gregg Daly, State Senator Robin Wright-Jones, 20th Ward Alderman Craig Schmid, Tumaini Meta from the Organization for Black Struggle, 8th Ward Alderman Stephen Conway, Representative Jamilah Nasheed and others.
Many organizations and unions recruited for the event, and several local news stations were also present. View photos from CBS.
Be Part of Nationwide "We Are One" Rallies
Check out this map to see all the events happening across Missouri- then find a "We Are One" event near you!
There are events in Kansas City, St. Louis, Warrensburg, Springfield, Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau.
Join us as we stand in solidarity with the workers of Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and dozens of other states were corporate-backed politicians are forcing anti-worker agendas- union busting and stripping collective bargaining rights for public employees.
Beginning with worship services over the weekend, and continuing through the week of April 4th, unions, people of faith, civil and human rights activists, students and more will host a range of community and workplace based actions.
April 4th was chosen because this was the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while standing up for the collective bargaining rights of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, TN.
Missouri House Passes "Back Door Repeal" of Minimum Wage, Child Labor and Prevailing Wage Laws
House Budget Passed March 28 De-Funds Officials who Caught Employers Employin and Injuring Children, Cheating Missouri Workers' Paychecks in 2010.
Wonder why State Senator Jane Cunningham recently backed off her bill to repeal child labor laws? Maybe its because she found another way.
The House Budget Proposal (HB7) passed March 28 cuts all funding to enforce child labor, minimum wage and prevailing wage laws by defunding nine full-time investigator positions from the Division of Labor Standards, removing the entire Wage and Hour Program.
What does this cut mean?
- Putting kids to work. There would be no enforcement of child labor laws. In 2010, there were 19 complaints investigated and the Division of Labor found over 450 violations and issued over $16,000 in penalties.
- Even less money in the pockets of minimum wage workers. There would be no enforcement of the minimum wage. Just last year over 700 complaints were filed and the Division of Labor was able to recover nearly $200,000 for nearly 800 workers. That's money in the pockets of low-income Missourians that goes right back into our state's economy.
- Irresponsible contractors pocket the wages of hard-working Missourians. There would be no enforcement of prevailing wage standards. In 2010, over 400 complaints resulted in over $500,000 recovered for hard-working Missourians.
We're Keeping Kansas City Alive!
On
Tuesday, March 22nd- Mayoral Election Day- over 30 volunteers joined
the Keep KC Alive Campaign to educate voters about the
importance of
the Kansas City Earnings Tax.
Strategically placed at the 18 polling places with the highest volume across the city, volunteers distributed informational leaflets detailing how vital the Earnings Tax is to our city, and asked voters to "Vote YES on April 5!". Volunteers contacted over 1600 voters on Election Day!
Since December, Kansas City Jobs with Justice has been working with the Keep KC Alive Campaign to recruit, train and deploy volunteers to educate potential voters at mayoral forums, candidate debates, and other public events about the campaign to save the Kansas City Earnings Tax.
Thanks to all the volunteers and don't forget, KC city residents: Vote YES on April 5! Want to volunteer on April 5? Click HERE. For more information on the campaign, visit www.keepkcalive.com
4300 Come to Rally Against Corporate Greed at Kiener Plaza and tell Missouri Legislature, "We Are One!"
This may have been the rally of the year.
On a week's notice, St. Louis labor leaders and Jobs with Justice
brought out 4300 people
and packed Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis- to stand up
against Right-to-Work-for-Less legislation (SB 1), Minimum Wage Repeal (HB 61 and SB 110) Child Labor Repeal (SB 222), and the other
anti-workers legislation at the Missouri Capitol right now.
Carpenters, laborers, pipefitters, boilermakers, teachers, autoworkers, teamsters, janitors, nurses, policemen, glaziers, machinists, electricians, insulators- just about every local in the St. Louis metropolitan area was represented at this rally.
Constant, booming "We-Are-One" chants recurred throughout the event- before, after and during almost every speaker. Speakers voiced their opposition to the attacks on the middle class, tax breaks for the wealthy, tax incentives for corporations and legislators who are overturning the will of the voters.
The recently passed legislation in Wisconsin, which all but severed collective bargaining rights for public employees, and the Right-to-Work-for-Less Hearing in Jefferson City now scheduled for Monday were surely reasons for such a massive turnout.
Chant leaders JwJ St. Louis Organizer Aaron Burnett And SEIU Local 1 Union Representative Kevin Oliver kicked off the event.
Blessings were given by Pastor Teresea Danieley and Father Richard Creason.
Speakers included: St. Louis Labor Council President Bob Soutier as the MC, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Representative Lew Moye, Parkway National Education Association President Joe Wanda Bozeman, St. Louis Building Trades Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Aboussie, Minimum Wage Activist Joe Wicks and JwJ Communications Organizer Charlie Edelen. St. Louis Mayor Fracis Slay even showed up and said a few words of support.
Check out the video and the "We Are One" chanting, along with more pictures on Show Me Progress website. There's a great collection of short interviews and photos of the rally on Occasional Planet's blog. And a powerful slideshow on FiredUp! Missouri's blog.
CWA 6355 and Kansas City Jobs with Justice Declare: "We Are One!"
If
snow and hail didn’t stop Wisconsin, then a thunderstorm certainly wasn’t
going to keep Kansas City activists from the cause.
On Friday, March 4th at the downtown Fletcher Daniels building, over 20 Kansas City JwJ activists and CWA 6355 members braved the elements to rally in defense of the rights of public sector employees. Across the country, there have been orchestrated attacks on public workers, and here in Missouri the battle also rages.
However, Bradley Harmon, a delegate to the Kansas City JwJ Organizing Committee and CWA 6355 leader who organized the rally, knows the tide is changing.
He said, “Workers have woken up, and have woken up a movement in this country to start fighting back against the relentless attacks on workers’ rights!†Chanting “We are one!†and “Solidarity forever!†activists sought to raise awareness of the plight of workers and continue to gain momentum and public visibility.
Activists and union members also publicly thanked Senator Claire McCaskill for her support of collective bargaining rights for public employees.
Solidarity with Wisconsin: Protecting our Minimum Wage
Over 100 people
braved the cold and came out to the shuttered Wal-Mart in
Town & Country (a St. Louis suburb) on Saturday, February 26.
Missouri Jobs with Justice, Missouri ProVote, Missouri AFL-CIO and
other organizations put on a unity rally- in solidarity with workers in
Wiscosin, Indiana and Ohio and their struggle with collective
bargaining. Part of our solidarity in their fight, was
putting feet on the ground in OUR fights here in Missouri.
After a quick rally with a handful of speakers, including MO JwJ Director Lara Granich, Minimum Wage activist and server Joe Wicks, Missouri House Representative Gina Walsh, former State Senator Joan Bray and 5th District County Councilman Pat Dolan, folks went out to canvass and phone bank to protect our minimum wage. About 20 people canvassed Jefferson County, Franklin County, St. Charles County and West County to put pressure on legislators that had not confirmed a NO vote on HB 61. Read about HB 61 at www.saveourraise.org.
"Its hard, its hard to keep up with daily bills, food, rent, utilities, gas to get to work, it's hard," said Joe Wicks, "And its sad to know that these people who are supposed to represent the people of Missouri are so dead set against helping the people of Missouri."
The rally, canvass and phone bank was all over local news for the rest of the weekend. Both Fox 2 and KSDK Channel 5 gave us great coverage, interviewing Lara Granich, Joe Wicks, and Vintage Vinyl owner Lew Prince.
Quit Playing Politics With Our Health Care!
On Tuesday, January 18, Voters and community groups sent a message to
Missouri Senate: Quit
playing politics with our Health Care! We support the Affordable Care
Act!
Over 60 voters and many community groups supporting the Affordable Care Act went to the Missouri Senate to tell legislators to stop playing politics with our health care. The Senate Rules Committee had a hearing in the Senate Lounge about a Resolution calling on Attorney General Koster to sue the federal government over the health reform law.
Bob Minor, a member of Jobs with Justice's leadership team in Kansas City expressed outrage for spending taxpayer money on political stunts:
"We have hundreds of families who are now insuring young adults under age 26 because the law gives us that choice. We have thousands of retirees who are getting free preventive care and annual exams in Madicare. And these Senators are using taxpayer dollars to try to take away these benefits."
Save Our Raise!
House Bill 61 and Senate Bill 110 would repeal the minimum wage that YOU voted for in 2006!
Now is not the time to leave our state's lowest paid workers behind!
Send an email to your elected representatives to let them know that every penny counts. Save Our Raise!
Go to www.SaveOurRaise.org to learn more and tell your legislators to OPPOSE HB 61 and SB 110!
VICTORY For Express Scripts Workers!!
After a months-long
struggle with the Express Scripts, Inc.,
SEIU workers with assistance from SEIU, Missouri Jobs with Justice, the Saint
Louis Area Workers' Rights Board and other
activists have forced ESI
to reverse
their decision to shutter all Bensalem, PA operations--- saving 400 union, family
supporting jobs
and providing a substantial severance package to 500 workers facing
layoff at
another plant in the city.
“This settlement will keep hundreds of good jobs here in Bensalem, and make sure anyone who gets laid off will be able to provide for their families in this harsh economy,†said Linda Chan, a Pharmacy Tech at the Marshall Lane facility, and a member of the SEIU Healthcare bargaining committee. Express Scripts, Inc has been an extremely profitable company and is the 2nd biggest pharmacy benefits manager in the country.
SEIU members had been engaging in a national campaign to put pressure on ESI to maintain quality jobs in Bensalem when the company announced it would close both the Marshall Lane and Street Road Bensalem facilities following the workers’ overwhelming rejection of the company’s “last, best, final†offer. In August, 50 ESI workers from Bensalem, Pennsylvania- facing severe pay and benefits cuts- drove to ESI headquarters in St. Louis to meet CEO George Paz face-to-face and protest the cuts, meeting with members of the Saint Louis Workers’ Rights Board while they were here.
In November, three ESI workers were suspended for reaching out to ESI clients about the terrible way ESI was being managed, and SEIU workers contacted St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice’s Workers’ Rights Board again. The Workers’ Rights Board agreed to hold an investigative hearing on ESI’s worker abuse. An invitation was sent to Express Scripts CEO George Paz, and workers from Pennsylvania were set to fly into St. Louis and other ESI workers from Harrisburg, PA and St. Louis were set to testify by phone. Instead of agreeing to come to the hearing, Paz decided to reopen negotiations- and a settlement was reached in the late hours- the day before the Investigative Hearing was to take place. Paz also agreed to reinstate the three suspended workers.
“This has been a very difficult challenge… by sticking together we saved 400 good jobs for this community and won an excellent severance package for laid off workers that most non-union workers could only dream about,†said Rickie Stemley, a Pharmacy Tech at the Marshall Lane facility.
Learn more at the SEIU website.
Read more by the St. Louis Business Journal.
Pinnacle Entertainment Elected "Scrooge of the Year" in St. Louis!!
Rex Sinquefield Elected "Scrooge of the Year" in Kansas City!
Congratulations Kansas City on beating St. Louis in Overall Votes for the 2nd consecutive year!
The Annual
Jobs with Justice Scrooge
of the Year Fundraisers and
"Holiday Party with an Attitude" was once again a great
success in St. Louis and Kansas City. The rules are simple: One dollar, One Vote. No Limits! Anyone, anywhere in the state or country can vote for the 2010 Scrooge of the year in St. Louis and Kansas City. Thank you for VOTING EARLY and OFTEN.
Learn about the "Scrooge of the Year" candidates for 2010 in St. Louis and Kansas City
ST. LOUIS "SCROOGE OF THE YEAR" ELECTION RESULTS!
Pinnacle Entertainment elected SCROOGE OF THE YEAR with 2544 votes!!
Rex Sinquefield closes out in 2nd place with 1910 votes!
St. Louis Tea Party Leadership surprises everyone with 3rd place- 505 votes!
Senator Roy Blunt finishes in 4th place- 370 votes.
Peabody Coal finishes 5th place with 279 votes.
Write-in Candidate Riverview Garden's Superintendent Clive Coleman squeaks out 143 votes- not bad for a write-in!
**Thanks to everyone who participated in St. Louis' Scrooge Party- on-line or in person! We had wonderful emcees, great competition and plenty of company!
KANSAS CITY "SCROOGE OF THE YEAR" ELECTION RESULTS!
Rex Sinquefield elected SCROOGE OF THE YEAR with 2678 votes!!
Kris Kobach finishes a solid 2nd place with 1990 votes!
State Senator Rob Mayer places 3rd, with just under 1000 votes- 942 votes!
Senator Roy Blunt finishes in 4th place in both STL and KC- 209 votes.
Postmasters Jack Potter and Patrick Donahoe rounds out last place with 195 votes.
**Thanks to everyone who supported Kansas City's Scrooge Party-on-line or in person! Emcee Bradley Harmon rocked the house and the games we had were a high-spirited!
JwJ can't wait until NEXT YEAR'S Scrooge Parties, including their funny, often-raucous table-to-table campaigning and stump speeches:
Kansas City Scrooge of the Year Holiday Happy Hour
Monday, December
13, 2010
5:30-7:30 pm
IAFF 42
6320 Manchester
Kansas City, MO 64133
Kansas City
Candidates
City Voters Decided! We Support the Earnings Tax!
More than
500 volunteers
spent
countless hours educating voters about the dangers of Prop A.
We canvassed, educated and worked the polls. Although we are
all disappointed that Proposition A passed statewide—stripping
communities throughout the state of local control over their budget
revenues—a whopping 68%
of St. Louis City voters voted NO!
It’s a shame that Prop A proponents spent $11.7 million to find out
what St. Louis Voters think about the earnings tax—we told them to
butt
out.JwJ members’ activism, support and volunteer efforts delivered this critical victory in St. Louis, and we will need to redouble our efforts when the earnings tax becomes a ballot issue in April, 2010.
Working people, seniors and neighborhood organizations bonded together to fight for police, fire protection, city services and local control. Your votes opposed higher sales and property taxes that would hit working people hard. We must keep this momentum!
Kudos to the broad coalition of Say No to A endorsers—our allies in the faith community, business community and many community groups worked together to defeat Prop A in St. Louis.
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green Speaks Out Against Prop A at the Annual WRB Meeting
On
Friday, October 1, 2010 St. Louis City Comptroller, Darlene
Green, addressed the annual St. Louis Workers' Rights Board
Meeting at the Old North Restoration Group office in North St. Louis. Green
called on area leaders to oppose Proposition A,
calling the measure "ill-conceived" and "disastrous" in a time
of city employee furloughs, service reductions and increased service
fees. She also listed numerous ways losing the earnings tax,
which makes up 1/3 of the cities budget, would negatively affect the
City and the region including drastic cuts to public safety.
The St. Louis Area Workers’ Rights Board combats the lack of an adequate legal framework to support worker and economic justice issues. They harness the power of prominent individuals to investigate complaints, hold public hearings, issue public statements or undertake other activities which put key issues in the public spotlight WRB members are prominent citizens, whose names and/or official positions carry moral authority in the St. Louis community. Current WRB members include clergy, professors, community group leaders and elected officials.
Area Congregations to Preach on Workers' Issues This Labor Day Weekend
Each Labor Day weekend,
in cities across
the country, thousands of congregations participate in Labor
in the Pulpits / on the Bimah / in the Minbar. The
goals of Labor in the Pulpits are to educate congregations about
connections between faith and work, inspire new friendships between
people in religious communities and unions, present congregations with
opportunities for acting on the social teachings of their faith groups,
and give union members a deeper experience of their faith in action.
The
2010 Labor in the Pulpits/ on the
Bimah/ in the Minbar program focuses on implementation of
health care reform to help congregations understand the impact the
health care reform will have on working people, seniors and families.
In March of 2010, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act.
Still many people are confused and some misinformed about what the new
law will actually do for our families and communities
Protecting Our Health Care Victory: What's Next?
On Tuesday, August 3rd,
Missourians voted and passed
Proposition C by a 71% of the vote. This anti-health reform initiative
was confusing for a lot of people. It was put on the ballot by
politicians and lobbyists to protect insurance companies and to
influence elections. Proposition C posed a very narrow
question in a low turnout election. In addition, the measure
has no real effect on our lives or our health insurance status.
We're focused on moving forward with implementation of the new health reform law that will guarantee that we can get health insurance even if we get sick or lose our jobs. When fully in place in 2014, health insurance companies will not be able to cap our benefits if we need medical care and there will be limits on what they can charge us in premiums and deductibles. And this year more than 79,000 Missouri small businesses and non profits are eligible for tax credits to help pay for insurance premiums for workers!
We're glad to have the election behind us so we can focus on the real work of educating the community. It's important for all of us to keep talking about what's really in the Affordable Care Act.
Looking forward!
We will be celebrating the important reforms that will go into effect
next month:
- Insurance companies will not be allowed to turn children down because they have a pre-existing condition and they must cover the medical care relating to those conditions (this will happen for adults, too in 2014).
- Insurance companies must allow parents to keep young adults on their insurance policy until the age of 26. The young adult does not have to be a dependent of the parent(s), does not have to live with the parent(s), and may be married.
- Insurance companies will not be allowed to cancel policies when people get sick (rescission) except in cases of fraudulent application.
- New group health plans cannot charge co-pays and deductibles for preventive care and may not discriminate in favor of higher wage employees.
- The law completely bans lifetime limits and tightly restricts new plans use of annual limits.
- A temporary program to help offset the costs of employers who provide health insurance for retirees between the age of 55-64 begins.
Protect this victory: If you want to learn more about the immediate effects above, or to get more involved in our health care organizing, please contact health care organizer, Amy Smoucha, amy@mojwj.org or 314-608-3917.
Postal Workers Rally to Save Saturday Service
On
July 12, 2010 Jobs with Justice
Activists and Leaders joined the America Postal Workers Union for an
informational picket to save Saturday mail delivery. Congress is
currently considering whether to eliminate Saturday service and only
delivery mail 5 days a week.
Reducing service would weaken the United States Postal Service’s ability to serve every American at an inexpensive, uniform rate, and could eventually lead to privatization. Millions of Americans could no longer rely on Saturday delivery to receive prescriptions, checks, or other important mail and outside couriers could step in and require anyone that needed something delivered on a Saturday to be charged more.
Tell your Representative to Save Saturday Service.
Read more about the picket HERE and HERE
Join Us! Tell Pinnacle Entertainment to "DO THE RIGHT THING"!
The President Casino is closing
on June 28, 2010
and Pinnacle Entertainment, which operates The President Casino,
Lumiere Place Casino, and the new River City Casino, is refusing
to keep it’s promises to the Presidents 220 workers.
Pinnacle promised priority hiring at the
Lumiere Place and River City Casinos and a retention
bonus or severance package for workers who remained
until closing.
Initially Pinnacle refused to negotiate transfers or priority hiring at their other two locations for 220 employees.It’s time for Pinnacle Entertainment to stand up and be a responsible employer to its workers and the community.
Tell them to keep their promises made to the
President Casino workers!
Come rally with UNITE HERE Local 74, St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice, Community leaders, and workers to tell Pinnacle to be responsible to their workers and the community!
"DO THE RIGHT THING" RALLY
Monday, June 28, 2010
5:00 PM
The President Casino
For more information go to www.ShameOnPinnacle.org
Good News, Bad News for MO Workers
Sunday, May 2 was the deadline to turn in signatures for November 2010 ballot initiatives in Missouri. Missouri Jobs with Justice and its members organize every year to insure the values and interests of Missouri's workers are represented in this process.
2010 sees both good news and bad news for Missouri workers on the November 2010 ballot.
- The GOOD NEWS the so-called "Save Our Secret (SOS) Ballot" initiative failed to turn in signatures to qualify this anti-democratic initiative for the ballot. Read more
- The BAD NEWS is that the Millionaire Tax Cut – the Earnings Tax initiative did turn in enough signatures that it will likely qualify for the November 2010 statewide ballot. Read more about this reckless threat to essential public services in our state's two biggest economic centers
Activists Tell Big Banks "Enough is Enough"
On Tuesday, April 27
members of Kansas City Jobs with Justice,
SEIU Local 1 and GRO participated in National
People's Action's "Showdown in the Heartland."
Hundreds of activists marched through Kansas City to tell
Bank of America and all Big Banks "ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH"!
Americans are demanding that the big banks take responsibility for the havoc they created and stop stonewalling the passage of common-sense financial reform that protects consumers and ensures they can't destroy our economy again.
This demonstration in the heart of Kansas City's financial
district included activists
from Missouri, Kansas
& Iowa and kick off a week of actions
to hold Big Banks accountable in San Francisco, New York and
Charlotte, NC.
VICTORY: Landmark Health Care Reform is a victory for working people!!
Yesterday, by a vote of 219-212, the US House of Representatives passed historic health care reform. The measure will soon be signed into law by the President.
Final legislation reduces the deficit, expands health coverage to 32 million Americans, strengthens Medicare and Medicaid, and makes health coverage more affordable for all of us!
Now it’s time to call Congressmen Cleaver,
Carnahan, and Clay
at 1-866-922-4970 to tell them THANK
YOU for voting for
Health Care Reform!
Our work in Missouri ensuring that reform is implemented is beginning already, and we will need your help to bring this victory home. DONATE to Jobs with Justice health care organizing project to shore up our resources for the state fight.
JOIN US in St. Louis for a CELEBRATION tonight, Monday, 3/22 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street, downtown St. Louis.
http://www.schlafly.com/map.taproom.html
To RSVP or for more information contact Amy Smoucha amy@mojwj.org
Find out what health care reform means for Missouri's families and communities CLICK HERE
Register Today for 2010 Building JwJ Leadership Program
There
will be two sessions this
year.
Spring session will be Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14 in Kansas City, MO.
Fall session will be Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12 in St. Louis, MO.
Missouri's Building Jobs with Justice Leadership Development Program provides leaders insight into organizing's key concepts and skills. Community organizing principles, as first articulated and carried out by Saul Alinsky in Chicago, encouraged leaders to act together to create powerful organizations and win on issues they care about. Registration deadline for the spring session is February 12, 2010. Registration forms can be submitted online HERE or mailed to the JwJ office using the form in the brochure HERE.
Participants move through a series of sessions including such topics as: building relationships, understanding power, the meaning and understanding of self interest, issues and actions, and creating winnable campaigns. This training builds a stronger, more powerful movement for Jobs with Justice in Missouri.
Full Tuition is $500 per participant, which includes lodging, refreshments and materials. The discount for JwJ Member Organizations and Sustaining Individual Members (who give to JwJ monthly on their credit or debit card, sign up to be a Sustainer) and their members is $250. Those who cannot afford tuition out-of-pocket can work with JwJ staff to fundraise their tution. Details on the "fundraising option" are in the program's brochure. You can register and make a payment online. All questions should be directed to Jennifer Rafanan, 314-644-0466, ext 15.
St. Louis and Kansas City JwJ both name 2009 "Scrooge of the Year"
Learn more about this year's "Scrooge of the Year" party and winner in St. Louis
This year's winner in Kansas City was AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, nominated by CWA Local 6360. Stephenson led the charge to bargain a contract that slashed health care benefits, turned its back on retirees and instituted widespread layoffs.
Learn more about this year's "Scrooge of the Year" party and winner in Kansas City .
Missouri JwJ Workers' Rights Board releases a report on the American Red Cross
Posted October 8, 2009
On Thursday, Oct. 8 We told the American Red Cross "Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!"
Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board released a national report today that raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products. Members of the Workers' Rights Board also hand delivered the reports to the St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross.
TAKE ACTION NOW! You too can tell the American Red Cross "Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!"
The investigative report, which also details the treatment of Red Cross employees and the impact this has on the organization's work, underscores the need for a new round of reforms at the troubled organization.
“Few national institutions have a prouder name or a more storied history than the American Red Cross,†writes Philip Dine, an award-winning labor reporter and the author of the report. “But many frontline blood workers see the Red Cross as an employer that is increasingly determined to cut expenses and increase revenues, even to the potential detriment of donor safety, employee wellbeing and the security of the nation’s blood supply.â€
Speakers at the event include State Representative, the Reverend James Morris, Missouri House District 58, Red Cross Workers James Plotts and Mary McDougall, and Joan Suarez, Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board Chair.
Read the full report here.MO JwJ Leaders Head to DC for Employee Free Choice
Posted September 14, 2009
The Missouri delegation includes:Jerry King, St. Louis Workers Rights Board and real estate developer; Christine Grande, Human Rights Office of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph; Rhonda Perry, a family farmer from Howard County and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center as well as JwJ State Board member; and Linda Meyer, former reporter of the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. Meyer was part of leading a union organizing campaign at the Suburban Journals that illustrates perfectly the need for the Employee Free Choice Act.
"Working people should have power to establish equal footing in their place of employment, in order to pursue a better quality of life, liberty, and happiness," says Reverend Walter Maddox, Lane Tabernacle CME Church who visited earlier this year with Congressmen William "Lacy" Clay about supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. "If we do not fight for working families, we will lose that part of the American Dream."
Jobs with Justice celebrates Labor Day by focusing on Health Care.
Posted September 10, 2009
On Monday, September 7 Jobs with Justice Leaders and Staff participated in Labor Day celebrations across the state.JwJ's top priority for this year’s celebration was to help raise the visibility of health care as a key issue for working people. Leaders and Staff worked hard canvassing the crowd in St. Louis and organizing a health care reform “yard sign-making†table for other participants in the parade in Kansas City. CLICK HERE and HERE to find out how our visibility work helped the Labor Day coverage include a critical policy issue of the day .
Jobs with Justice also sends a great THANKS TO OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT for their hard work organizing the parade and being welcoming to allies like JwJ as part of their festivities.
St Louis Casino workers bring in their own “Lethal Weaponâ€
Posted on August 10, 2009
On Sunday, August 9 workers from the Lumiere and President Casinos had reason to stand tall as they learned the National Labor Relations board handed down a scathing ruling against their employer, Pinnacle Entertainment. The rulings call on Pinnacle to finally begin bargaining with the workers’ union, Workers United Local 74. The workers and their union had an “all star†cast of support on hand, including actor Danny Glover (pictured here). Also on hand were members of the St. Louis Workers Rights board, elected officials and area union leaders from throughout the labor movement.
MISSOURI'S SERVERS GET A RAISE TOMORROW – THANKS TO YOU!
Posted July 23, 2009
Tomorrow the federal minimum wage is increasing to $7.25/hour. And thanks to Proposition B, passed overwhelming with your help in Missouri in 2006, waiters and waitresses around Missouri will also get a raise. Their minimum wage is 50% of Missouri's minimum wage for non-tipped workers.
This last legislative session Jobs with Justice and the waiters and waitresses of the "Save Our Tips" campaign (see picture at right) narrowly defeated state legislation that would have excluded waiters and waitresses from increases in the minimum wage. Because of that successful campaign nearly 60,000 waiters and waitresses will get a raise tomorrow.
But the Battle is Coming Again
Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka) vowed to re-introduce legislation to exclude tipped employees from future minimum wage increases – maybe even CUT their pay back to the federal minimum of $2.13/hour! With your help, JwJ and the waiters and waitresses of the "Save Our Tips" campaign will be ready to go BACK to the Capitol and defend their minimum wage.
Here's how you can help:
Donate just $20 today to help raise $2000 for a Missouri server lobby day to protecttheir wages when the attacks begin next session (or you can donate through our Facebook page)
Visit the Save Our Tips website for more information and to find out how you can continue to help.
Visit the Missouri Department of Labor for more information on tomorrow's minimum wage increase.
CWA Informational Picket
Posted July 7, 2009
On Tuesday, July 7 - We told AT&T to give workers and retirees a fair contract.
KC JwJ joined CWA members in an informational picket at AT&T in Independence, MO. CWA is fighting for a fair contract that respects retirees and protects health care for all workers’ families.
For more on this important fight, visit MO JwJ Member Organization CWA Local 6360 online.
June 17 Rally for the Employee Free Choice Act
Posted June 19, 2009
On Wednesday, June 17 - We told Elected officials To support the Employee Free Choice Act and help re-build our economy.
Kansas City Jobs with Justice and the Kansas City AFL-CIO, along with countless unions, community groups, activists and elected officials rallied on June 17 in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.
Almost 150 Jobs with Justice Activists and allies gathered in the parking lot of Home Depot to remind elected officials how critical the Employee Free Choice Act is to protecting the rights of workers and rebuilding our economy.
Hear a news report on the rally from Heartland Labor Forum on KKFI
ClickHere and Here for articles on the Rally
Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act
You Did It!! Missouri JwJ members Saved Our Tips
Posted May 29, 2009
The waiters and waitresses in Missouri will NOT have to deal with a paycut during this economic crisis. Despite the best efforts of some Missouri legislators, the waiters and waitresses in Missouri united with their allies through Jobs with Justice and defeated Rep. Tim Jones' (R-Eureka) bill to weaken the minimum wage for tipped employees.
In 2006, 76.4% of Missouri voters passed Proposition B which increased the wage for tipped employees. The ballot initiative passed in every single Missouri county by 16 points or more. Since then, business interests and their allies in the legislators have tried to chip away at the minimum wage continually.
During the last 4 months of the legislative session you sent thousands of emails, made calls, and lobbied your legislators and they heard you loud and clear. Thanks to tremendous pressure the bill died in the Senate as the legislative session came to a close on May 15.
THEY'LL BE BACK AND WE'LL BE READY!
The restaurant industry and its lobbyists were clear that they are not done trying to pick the pockets of their waiters and waitresses. We expect to see another bill to undermine the tipped employee minimum wage next session so JwJ and its leaders will continue to strengthen our network of waiters, waitresses and supporters of working people throughout the state to protect FAIR WAGES FOR SERVERS
Go HERE to learn more about leaders that gave key support to this campaign.
Read more from the JwJ Solidarity Calendar.
Visit the St.
Louis Jobs with Justice site.
Visit the Kansas City Jobs
with Justice site