Legislative Update

ANTI-WORKER AGENDA TRAIN KEEPS RIGHT ON ROLLING IN

JEFFERSON CITY

As we approach the last month of the first session of the 97th General Assembly Missouri's Working Families and Organized Labor are the victims of daily attacks by some of the far right wing Republicans.

Senate Bill 29, Paycheck Deception is a great example of this. The Bill is simply nothing but an attempt to further the agenda of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), a group of far right wing legislators who are funded by the likes of the Koch Brothers.

The real crux of this bill is to make it illegal for employees and employers to come to an agreement that employees may have their Union Dues voluntarily deducted. The Bill is also unnecessary, probably unconstitutional and will cost Missouri Tax payers about one half a million dollars of the general revenue fund over the next 5 years.
1) Unnecessary: The Bill is unnecessary because Union workers already have the legal right to decide to either have their dues deducted or pay on their own. This simply makes it illegal for the member and the company and the union to agree to make it easier for everyone. What it does do is create another burden for the workers.
2) Unconstitutional: This very Bill has been struck down by supreme courts in other states
and has been held as discriminatory against unions and their members.
3) Costly: A half of million dollars that could be spent to help create jobs.

Also in this last month Building Trade Workers are facing deep cuts in wages and benefits as attacks on Missouri's prevailing wage laws move forward. These laws protect Missouri's good Contractors as well as communities and workers from being underbid by contractors from out of Missouri or by contractors from Missouri who choose to use undocumented or misclassified workers.

All Union Workers are also once again facing the battle of the infamous Right to Work for Less. This bill once again makes it illegal for employers, the employees and their union from negotiating a union security clause. Currently, union security clauses are there to ensure that all workers who receive the benefits of a Union Contract share in the cost of maintaining the union. Keep in mind that this clause is only in a contract that has been agreed to by the
employers, the members and the unions.

Over the next month you will be receiving phone calls, text messages and letters asking you to contact your legislators and ask them to stand with working families and union members in Missouri and vote against the attack on Missouri's Workers.