Cutting the earnings tax, eliminating over one-third of the budget,  would result in cuts that would make the city less safe and would force a hike in sales and property taxes. Jobs with Justice Leader Martin Rafanan spoke at the press conference today emphasizing "The increase in sales taxes that would likely be imposed to make up for the lost revenue from the elimination of the earnings tax would shift a disproportionate burden onto the backs of lower and working class citizens"

This effort is also targeting Kansas City’s earnings tax and passage of these repeals would cripple the economies of two of the major economic centers of the state.

Read more about the press conference in the news HERE, HERE, HERE,

To find out more about United for Missouri’s Priorities visit www.unitedformissourispriorities.org

Now, House Bill 1792  and Senate Bill 875 are threatening to reduce the minimum wage for employees UNDER THE AGE OF 20. For most teens this would mean almost $2.00 an hour lost.

Visit this page if you are UNDER 20 and want to tell the Missouri Legislature "Don’t cut my wages"

Visit this page if you are 20 AND OLDER and want to tell the Missouri Legislature "Cutting wages based on age is unfair"

Young workers are important leaders in Jobs with Justice and the workers’ rights movement in Missouri.   Have their back!  Stand up against the attack on minimum wage for workers under 20.

Find out more about this campaign on www.FairWagesForMOTeens.org and Follow us on facebook by joining the cause "Missouri Jobs with Justice" and the group "Fair Wages for Missouri Teens"

(In 2009 Missouri Jobs with Justice sent 13 servers to Jefferson City to stop the bill that threaten the minimum wage for servers. Pictured to the right)

 In 2006, 76.4% of Missourians voted to pass Proposition B to raise the wage for ALL Missouri workers, including tipped employees.

Now, Senate Bill 889 threatens to roll back the minimum wage for tipped employees to that of 16 years ago.

We must act NOW! Tell the Missouri State Senate that the citizens of Missouri want to protect the wages of 53,240 tipped employees.

We need you to TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW:

1) Tell your Senator that you support waiters and waitresses and oppose Senate Bill 889

2) Tell your friends

3) Make whatever donation you can to make sure Jobs with Justice and its leaders can help servers throughout Missouri protect their minimum wage

4) Join the "Save Our Tips" Facebook group and stay informed

Find out more about this campaign.

The Save our Secret Ballot Initiative attempts to limit the ways workers are allowed to form a union - forcing us into a broken federal bureaucracy at the National Labor Relations Board.

Earning Tax repeal is an attack on the whole economy of the state by seeking to cripple two of the vital economic centers - The cities of St. Louis and Kansas City.

Before you go to the polls and are asked to sign these petition GET THE FACTS about these initiatives!

Visit www.freeandfairmo.com to find out about the misleading "Save our Secret Ballot" Initiative and Visit www.mojwj.org/earningstax to find out about the petition to repeal the Earning’s Tax. 

These attacks on Missouri’s workers and economy won’t end on election day. Petitioners will continue to be out in your neighborhoods.

Here are two ways you can help us keep track of these petitioners and educate voters:

Report What You See 

If you see a petitioner with the Save our Secret Ballot Petition at other locations please call 1-877-644-0466 or go to http://freeandfairmo.com/ 

To report a petitioner with the initiative to repeal the Earnings Tax go to www.mojwj.org/ContactUs

Be a Voter Educator

If you would like to sign up to volunteer to educate voters about these misleading petitions between now and May 2 sign up at www.mojwj.org/ContactUS

Missouri JwJ is hiring an Operations Coordinator. This position is based in either the St. Louis or Kansas City office of Missouri JwJ.Deadline for applications is Friday, February 26, 2010.

Throughout Missouri, grassroots community, faith and labor leaders have come together to form a powerful statewide Missouri Jobs with Justice organization.   This joins the 10-year old St. Louis Jobs with Justice coalition with an energized new Kansas City Jobs with Justice coalition and links both with leaders from throughout Missouri in a Statewide Executive Board.

The statewide organization is hiring an Operations Coordinator. 

Click here to download a fuller description and directions on how to apply.  All applications should include resume, cover letter, writing sample and at least two job references via email to hiring@mojwj.org .

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.

REGISTER TODAY

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.

This year’s Champion is Steve Robins, President of G.S. Robins in St. Louis. Campaigning in full force were G.S. Robin’s workers, members of Teamsters 688 who are currently on strike. Their stories of how G.S. Robins is putting profits before people and endangering public safety with  inexperienced replacement workers with little or no training, were heard loud and clear by the party attendees.  The nomination was made by JwJ member organization Teamsters 688.

Learn more about why Steve Robins is Scrooge of the Year

Campaigning at the Scrooge party reached a fever pitch and before the night was through and thanks to all of you that participated, 2,994 votes were cast, raising $2,994 for JwJ’s organizing against the attacks on our community represented by of ALL this year’s nominees.

Let’s not forget the other incredible campaigns run on behalf of all of this years nominees, including two write in candidates.

Final Tally	Votes
Steve Robins	1122
Sen. John Loudon	872
Rep. Allen Icet	592
Gen. Stanely McChrystal	197
Stephen Keyser	184
Rep. Todd Akins	25
Rep. Rod Jetton	2

To learn more about this year’s candidates CLICK HERE.

Special thanks to Teamsters Local 688 for graciously hosting this year’s party.

On Tuesday October, 20 - Tell Congress it’s time to DELIVER!

Today, Oct. 20 is a National Day of Action timed to deliver a big surge of support.  Throughout the state and Nation, activists are taking action in support of health care, and by 9 am we’ve already made the news!  Fox news.  Post-Dispatch.   Your earlier calls to Congress contributed to this historic opportunity.  Now we need you to call and tell Congress It’s Time to DELIVER!

Call your Senators
and Congressperson TODAY. 

Tell them:

IT’S TIME TO DELIVER quality, affordable health care.  And Congress must include a public health insurance option.

Sen. McCaskill, (202) 224-6154  

Sen. Bond, (202) 224-5721

or call toll-free at 1-800-828-0498 

–Look up your US Representative Here:  https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

After you have made your calls, tell us about it by contactng Amy Smoucha amy@mojwj.org

To understand FEDERAL HEALTH CARE REFORM: WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR WORKING PEOPLE click HERE.