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.

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.

This past week was chock full of direct actions in St. Louis supporting workers’ rights and the improvement of worker’s 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) District Area Local 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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

Missouri JwJ delegates came back re-energized and empowered to fight for economic justice in 2012!

Check out all our pics from the conference on Flickr.

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.

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.

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.

Missouri Jobs with Justice and allies planned four media events around the state to take place during the week of June 12, 2011.

The events celebrated our legislative 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 took place in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Joseph.

The St. Louis event featured Pastor Mary Albert as the emcee. Minimum wage activist Joe Wicks, retail worker Beth Dysart, and constituent Gary Torpea all spoke to the crowd for a few minutes. Beth Drysart said, “Paycheck deception, Right-to-Work-for-Less and efforts to cut the minimum wage attack people like me that are just trying to provide for our families.” 

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 St. Louis Media Event received press at KWMU/KBIA/KCUR and People’s World. The rest of the week-long events received press coverage at KTTS, the Springfield News-Leader, St. Joseph News Press Now, the Independence Examiner, and KY3 and KOLR10.

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.

Kansas City and St. Louis 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 82.64% 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.