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.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2007 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.