Missouri Jobs with Justice, working as part of the broader WE CAN coalition, won a tremendous victory when the so-called Missouri Civil Rights Initiative failed to turn in signatures which would have placed a constitutional ban on affirmative action on the November ballot.

Missouri Jobs with Justice coordinated a three-month, volunteer crew of voter educators including Cathy Goldstein and Palmer Alexander pictured here. These voter educators combed the streets of their communities day in and day out to find petitioners. Once they found petitioners, educators stood alongside them and made sure voters knew exactly what the deceptively-named "Missouri Civil Rights Initiative" would do to Missouri.

Volunteers logged well over a thousand hours next to petitioners, who usually gave up signature gathering on a site when they encountered an educator.

Jobs with Justice worked in coalition with Missouri ACORN whose voter educators also worked throughout the state to complement the volunteer crews. Other WE CAN Coalition partners spearheaded community education efforts such as public forums, a speakers bureau and press conferences throughout the campaign.

Health Care for 54,000 Uninsured Missouri Workers.
Status: not dead yet, but stuck in "Emergency" room.

Last week, Missouri lawmakers forfeited an opportunity to insure 54,000 uninsured minimum wage and low income workers through a Medicaid expansion that is phase 1 of "Insure Missouri." Despite federal approval and federal money available for the program, Rep. Rob Schaaf and his Special Committee on Healthcare Transformation held up the emergency rule, saying that insuring 54,000 uninsured Missourians was not "an emergency or compelling state interest."

But Phase One of Insure Missouri is not dead yet! The 54,000 working parents eligible for this insurance may be covered in July of this year at the earliest—but only if legislators on both sides of the aisle support the program and make sure it is funded for FY09.

Some legislators want to cut this Medicaid program even before families are enrolled, and we can’t let them! Despite the fact that money is available to expand coverage to 54,000 uninsured Missourians this year, some legislators in both parties continue to attack this program. Some oppose providing Medicaid to more people; others feel the program doesn’t go far enough or help enough people. They need to hear from you!

In addition to helping the 54,000 parents to get coverage under phase 1, this years Social Services budget must include money to restore coverage for seniors and people with disabilities to the income limits they had before Gov. Blunt’s 2005 Medicaid cuts.

Click to write members of the House Budget Committee and the Special Committee on Healthcare Transformation. Also make sure you contact your Representative and Senator.

Tell them you insist they take this immediate opportunity to provide healthcare to 54,000 uninsured Missouri workers and every opportunity to expand coverage this year. Look up your legislators here.

KANSAS CITY
Monday, February 11, 2008
at 7 pm at Community Christian Church, 4601 Main, 64112.
See the growing list of KC participants

ST LOUIS
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
at 6:30 pm at Harris Stowe State University Auditorium, 3026 Laclede Ave, 63103.
See the growing list of St Louis participants

Organized By Missouri Jobs with Justice and the St Louis Workers’ Rights Board with allies in the WE CAN Coalition, ACLU of Eastern Missouri and Western Missouri/Kansas, FOCUS St. Louis, Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, Metropolitan Congregations United – St. Louis, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis, Metropolitan Organization for Racial and Economic Equality, Service Employees International Union

Yes, I will attend a public hearing

 ON FEB. 5 YOU CAN protect Missouri’s Constitutution and STOP Ward Connerly’s attack on Affirmative Action!

 Ward Connerly, a rich California political operative, is trying to amend Missouri’s Constitution and ban Affirmative Action in our state through an initiative petition. 

Connerly is targeting Missouri and four other states during the 2008 presidential election.  His petioners are on the street right now, asking voters to sign a petition to “stop inequality.”

WE CAN stop Connerly and his paid political operatives and protect Missouri’s Constitution from outside political influences!

TAKE ACTION NOW:  Sign up NOW to help our “DECLINE TO SIGN” CANVASS outside polling places on Feb. 5, by email to aaron@stl-jwj.org or by calling 314-644-0466, ext. 12.  Various shifts and locations are available.  You will be trained for Decline to Sign cavasses so you can help stop Connerly’s paid political operatives from gathering signatures for their dangerous ballot initiative.

Upcoming Decline to sign trainings:

At Epiphany UCC – 2911 McNair Avenue 63118
  –Thursday Jan. 31st, 6pm

At Teamsters Local 688 – 4349 Woodson Road 63134
  –Saturday February 2nd, 10 am, and 2 pm
  –Sunday February 3rd, 10 am
  –Monday February 4th, 10 am, and 2 pm

Don’t let them send Missouri backwards!

California businessman Ward Connerly is trying to ban affirmative action in five states including Missouri, halting efforts for equality for women and African-Americans, Latinos, New Americans and other ethnic minorities in Missouri. His deceptively-named “Missouri Civil Rights Initiative” attempts to trick Missouri voters into passing an an amendment to Missouri’s Constitution that would tie our hands on countless efforts to build more dynamic and diverse classrooms, congregations, workplaces and communities.

Jobs with Justice is working as part of the broad-based WE CAN Coalition to oppose this anti-affirmative action initiative. JwJ is working with ACORN to coordinate grassroots volunteer efforts to prevent Connerly’s “hired guns” from collecting enough signatures to qualify for the November 2008 ballot in Missouri.

Tell us how you want to be involved….

This year’s Grinch contest shattered ALL the records! Campaigning at the Grinch party reached a fever pitch and before the night was through 14,268 votes were cast, raising $14,268 for JwJ’s organizing against the attacks on our community represented by of ALL this year’s nominees.

The come-from-behind champion was Illinois Distributing Company. IDC’s drivers, members of Teamsters Local 50, were at the party in force to campaign their candidate. In the six weeks of early voting, they also lined up strong support from sister union locals in Southwestern Illinois and Teamsters locals around the country. The nomination was made by JwJ Member Organization the Southwestern Illinois Labor Council.

Illinois Distributing Company distributes Anheuser-Busch products in St. Clair, Monroe and SW Madison Counties.

Learn more about why Illinois Distributing Company took this year’s prize

See a complete list of A-B products to boycott in support of IDC drivers

Let’s not forget the incredible campaigns run on behalf of electing Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and Affirmative Action opponent Ward Connerly this year’s Grinch. Both candidates earned thousands of votes from JwJ members, and lively campaigns from community and labor leaders.

To learn more about this year’s candidates you can click on the names below:

• Matt Blunt
• George Bush
• Ward Connerly
• Illinois Distributing
• Rex Sinquefield
• Keith Schafer

Special thanks to the American Postal Workers Union Gateway DAL for graciously hosting this year’s party.

Friday, August 31, 2007 at 7 pm

at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar, 63112 

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.

For more information on Labor in the Pulpits, or to involve your congregation, contact Tamela Franks at tamela@stl-jwj.org , or 314.644.0466 x14. You can join the Missouri congregations and faith organizations already committed to participating in Labor in the Pulpits / on the Bimah / in the Minbar this Labor Day weekend by filling out a Labor in the Pulpits Participation Form

2007 PARTICIPATING CONGREGATIONS

St. Louis City:
Central Reform Congregation, Rabbis Susan Talve and Randy Fleisher
Community Church of God, The Rev. Douglas Parham
Compton Heights Christian Church, The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Foster
Epiphany UCC, The Rev. Mary Albert
Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Fresh Start Bible Church
Garden Light United Church of Christ, The Rev. Jonathon Edwards
Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Fr. Richard Creason
Lane Tabernacle CME, The Rev. James T. Morris
Mount Airy MB, The Rev. Charles Brown
New Hope Worship Center, Bishop Anthony Taylor
Pilgrim Congregational UCC, The Rev. Cindy Bumb
Rockwell House, the Episcopal Campus Ministry at Washington University, The Rev. Andrew Benko
St. Cronan Parish, Fr. Gerry Kleba
St. Johns Episcopal, Pastor Teresa Mithen
St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church, Fr. Tom Wyrsch
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, The Rev. Lydia Speller 
Shiloh MB, The Rev. JD Clark
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet
Westside Missionary Baptist, The Rev. Ronald Bobo

St. Louis County:
Arlington United Methodist Church, The Rev. Mary Harvey
Christ Church UCC, The Rev. Brian Q. Newcomb
Church of the Open Door, The Rev. Susan Forbes
Ethical Society of St Louis, Ms. Kate Lovelady
Evangelical United Church of Christ, The Rev. Katie Hawker
Faith Baptist Church, The Rev. Lamar White
Greater St. Mark Family Church, The Rev. Tommie Pierson/The Rev. W. Audrey Hollis
Northminster Presbyterian Church, The Rev. Carlton Stock
Our Lady of Guadelupe Catholic Church, Fr. Jack Schuler
Congregation Shaare Emeth, Rabbi Andrea Goldstein

St. Charles County
Ethical Society - Mid Rivers, Mr. Bob Greenwell and guest speaker Paul Winslow
Trinity Episcopal Church, The Rev. Tamsen Whistler

Jefferson County
New Hope United Methodist Church, The Rev. Mark Harvey
St John Lateran Catholic Church, Fr. Steve Robeson

Columbia, MO
Rock Bridge Christian Church, The Rev. Maureen Dickmann and guest speaker Russ Unger

Springfield, MO
New Growth Ministries, The Rev. Larry Maddox

Hannibal, MO
Trinity Episcopal, The Rev. Morgan Ibe

Saint Louis Faith Organizations:
Aquinas Institute of Theology
Jews United for Justice
St Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition

St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice Launches Statewide “Save our Tips” Hotline to Help Workers Receive Wages Due

On May 24, 2007, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Joyce rejected the restaurant industry’s attempt to reach into workers’ pockets, saying that the “plain language” of the law “requires employers to pay tipped employees at least $3.25 per hour” and further, that “this obligation has been effective since January 1, 2007.” The court’s ruling dismissed a lawsuit backed by the Missouri restaurant industry seeking to exempt tipped workers from the minimum wage increase that was overwhelmingly passed by Missouri voters in November.

After this victorious court ruling, St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice is ramping up its campaign to help workers affected by the court’s ruling get wages they are due. “The court agreed that tipped workers are covered by the law, and can’t have their raise taken from them, and Jobs with Justice wants to ensure these workers get both raises and back pay,” said Rev. Dr. Martin Rafanan, co-chair of the St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice Workers’ Rights Board. 

JwJ has a toll-free hotline and urges tipped workers to call if they have not received a wage increase or if their increase was not retroactive to January 1, 2007.   Affected workers and others interested in the issue can call the “Save our Tips” Hotline toll-free at: 1-877-644-0466, or visit www.STL-JWJ.org/sot .

Special thanks to members of the legal community who stood by tipped workers and assisted in this case.  Attorneys Art Martin and Chris Grant from Schuchat Cook & Werner were joined by Raj Nayak and Paul Sonn from the Brennan Center for Justice, John Amman from St. Louis University School of Law, and Denise Lieberman from the Stetin Center for Law & Social Change in filing a friend of the court brief on JwJ’s behalf.  The case is G.R. Restaurant, Inc. and J.J. Group, Inv., v. Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, No. 07AC-CC00276.

In the last weeks of the legislative session, some Missouri legislators tried to gut the minimum wage increase for Missouri workers.  SB 255 was a bill intended to improve langugage on overtime for first responders.  But Rep. Shannon Cooper (120-R) pushed amendments to the bill that would have removed the annual cost of living adjustment to the minimum wage, and cut pay for tipped employees back to the hourly wage they earned more than 15 years ago.  JwJ members fought back sending thousands of letters and calls to their elected officials in Jefferson City.  When the amendments came to the floor, the Republican majority didn’t have the votes.  You didn’t let politicians in Jefferson City overturn your vote on minimum wage.   

Unfortunately, these games played by Rep. Cooper and others will still cost our communities dearly, as the changes communities need to the laws on overtime for first responders failed along with the “poison pill” amendments.  JwJ supports firefighters, police and all first responders as well as municipal leaders in their call for improved overtime provisions.