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SEIU Healthcare MO/KS Tells HCA: “Quality Jobs Mean Quality Care!”

On Wednesday, Oct 19th, nearly 100 activists, allies & workers rallied outside Research Medical Center to demand that Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), stop placing profits over people. The action was needed to put community pressure on HCA to sign a fair contract.

SEIU Healthcare represents over 900 Service, Maintenance and Technical employees at Research Medical Center and has been negotiating their first contract with HCA to obtain livable wages, affordable health benefits and better work conditions including better staffing. However, HCA will not concede to the workers’ economic demands, even though they made a profit of $30 billion in 2010 alone.

Thanks to all the JwJ members and activists who turned out despite the cold! 

The action was organized by SEIU HealthCare MO/KS.

For more information visit SEIU HealthCare's website.

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"We Are One Missouri" launches four media events around the state

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

The events celebrated our 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 are taking place in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Joseph. 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 Kansas City Media Event got press in the Independence Examiner. The rest of the week-long events got press in KWMU/KBIA/KCUR, St. Joseph News Press, People's World, KY3 and KOLR10, KTTS, and the Springfield News-Leader.

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We Beat Back the 2011 Attacks on the Middle Class!

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.

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First Ever "Save Our Raise" Benefit Show a Huge Success

On Friday, April 22 Kansas City Jobs with Justice held it's first ever benefit concert for "Save Our Raise," Missouri Jobs with Justice's campaign to save the minimum wage. Local rock bands Dream Wolf and Red Kate performed to a packed crowd of over 100 people at the Gusto Lounge (3810 Broadway Blvd, 64111).

Not only did the concert raise $500, we also signed up over 30 new activsits for the campaign!

A huge THANK YOU to KC JwJ Mobilization Co-Chair Shawn Saving and Activist Molly Barlow for organizing this tremendously successful event!

Missed the show? You can still support this important work.

Save Our Raise is MO JwJ's campaign to protect the Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment attached to Missouri's Minimum Wage that voters approved by 76% in 2006. This Adjustment allows our state's lowest paid workers' wages to keep up with inflation. MO JwJ has been defending the Minimum Wage against politicians and business interests ever since 2006. Learn more at www.saveourraise.org.

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If snow and hail didn’t stop Wisconsin, then a thunderstorm certainly wasn’t going to keep Kansas City activists from the cause. 

On Friday, March 4th at the downtown Fletcher Daniels building, over 20 KC JwJ activists and CWA 6355 members braved the elements to rally in defense of the rights of public sector employees. Across the country, there have been orchestrated attacks on public workers, and here in Missouri the battle also rages. 

However, Bradley Harmon, a delegate to the Kansas City JwJ Organizing Committee and CWA 6355 leader who organized the rally, knows the tide is changing. 

He said, “Workers have woken up, and have woken up a movement in this country to start fighting back against the relentless attacks on workers’ rights!” Chanting “We are one!” and “Solidarity forever!” activists sought to raise awareness of the plight of workers and continue to gain momentum and public visibility. 

Activists and union members also publicly thanked Senator Claire McCaskill for her support of collective bargaining rights for public employees.

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Tuesday, January 18, voters and community groups delivered a message to the Missouri Senate: Quit playing politics with Our Health Care! We support the Affordable Care Act!

Over 60 voters and community groups supporting the Affordable Care Act went to the Missouri Senate to tell legislators to stop playing politics with health care. The Senate Rules Committee had a hearing about a Resolution calling upon Attorney General Koster to sue the federal government over the health reform law.

Bob Minor, a member of Jobs with Justice's leadership team in Kansas City expressed outrage at the taxpayer money spent on political stunts:

"We have hundreds of families who are now insuring young adults under age 26 because the law gives us that choice. We have thousands of retirees who are getting free preventive care and annual exams in Medicare. And these Senators are using taxpayer dollars to try to take away these benefits." 

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Rex Sinquefield Elected "Scrooge of the Year"!!!

Rex Sinquefield earned a whopping 2678 votes at the polls, gaining the MOST votes of any candidate in Missouri!!
Kris Kobach almost broke 2K, finishing in 2nd with 1990 votes!
State Senator Rob Mayer placed 3rd with 942 votes!
Senator Roy Blunt finished in 4th place with 209 votes!
Jack Potter, Postmaster General and Patrick Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster finished the least Scroogiest with 195 votes. Still not bad!

Thanks to everyone who came out, hosted games, voted on-line, nominated candidates and brought friends, families and co-workers. Thanks to our entertaining emcee Bradley Harmon and Firefighters Local 42 for hosting our annual holiday bash! Happy Holidays!


This year's candidates were:

• Jack Potter , Postmaster General & Patrick Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster, nominated by APWU #67
• Kris Kobach, Kansas State Secretary of State Elect, nominated by Cross Border Network, MIRA and MEChA
• Sen Elect Roy Blunt, MO Senator Elect, Nominated by CWA 6355
• Rex Sinquefield, nominated by IAFF 42
• State Sen Rob Mayer, MO Senate Pro Tem - Elect, nominated by CWA 6360

VOTE TODAY! 

JwJ can't wait until next year's Scrooge Party, including its funny, often-raucous table-to-table campaigning and stump speeches: CLICK HERE to find out about the St. Louis JwJ Scrooge of the Year Candidates. 

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Area Congregations to Preach on Workers' Issues This Labor Day Weekend

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.

The 2010 Labor in the Pulpits/ on the Bimah/ in the Minbar program focuses on implementation of health care reform to help congregations understand the impact the health care reform will have on working people, seniors and families. In March of 2010, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act.  Still many people are confused and some misinformed about what the new law will actually do for our families and communities  

Find out more about the 2010 Labor in the Pulpits/ on the Bimah/ in the Minbar program and see the list of this year's participants. 

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Protecting Our Health Care Victory:  What's Next?

On Tuesday, August 3rd, Missourians voted and passed Proposition C by a 71% of the vote. This anti-health reform initiative was confusing for a lot of people. It was put on the ballot by politicians and lobbyists to protect insurance companies and to influence elections.  Proposition C posed a very narrow question in a low turnout election.  In addition, the measure has no real effect on our lives or our health insurance status.

We're focused on moving forward with implementation of the new health reform law that will guarantee that we can get health insurance even if we get sick or lose our jobs.  When fully in place in 2014, health insurance companies will not be able to cap our benefits if we need medical care and there will be limits on what they can charge us in premiums and deductibles. And this year more than 79,000 Missouri small businesses and non profits are eligible for tax credits to help pay for insurance premiums for workers! 

We're glad to have the election behind us so we can focus on the real work of educating the community. It's important for all of us to keep talking about what's really in the Affordable Care Act.

Looking forward!
We will be celebrating the important reforms that will go into effect next month:

• Insurance companies will not be allowed to turn children down because they have a pre-existing condition and they must cover the medical care relating to those conditions (this will happen for adults, too in 2014).
• Insurance companies must allow parents to keep young adults on their insurance policy until the age of 26. The young adult does not have to be a dependent of the parent(s), does not have to live with the parent(s), and may be married.
• Insurance companies will not be allowed to cancel policies when people get sick (rescission) except in cases of fraudulent application.
• New group health plans cannot charge co-pays and deductibles for preventive care and may not discriminate in favor of higher wage employees.
• The law completely bans lifetime limits and tightly restricts new plans use of annual limits.
• A temporary program to help offset the costs of employers who provide health insurance for retirees between the age of 55-64 begins.

Protect this victory:  If you want to learn more about the immediate effects above, or to get more involved in our health care organizing, please contact health care organizer, Amy Smoucha, amy@mojwj.org or 314-608-3917.

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Protecting OurHealth Care Victory:  What's Next?

On Tuesday, August 3rd, Missourians voted and passed Proposition C by a 71% of the vote. This anti-health reform initiative was confusing for a lot of people. It was put on the ballot by politicians and lobbyists to protect insurance companies and to influence elections.  Proposition C posed a very narrow question in a low turnout election.  In addition, the measure has no real effect on our lives or our health insurance status.

We're focused on moving forward with implementation of the new health reform law that will guarantee that we can get health insurance even if we get sick or lose our jobs.  When fully in place in 2014, health insurance companies will not be able to cap our benefits if we need medical care and there will be limits on what they can charge us in premiums and deductibles. And this year more than 79,000 Missouri small businesses and non profits are eligible for tax credits to help pay for insurance premiums for workers! 

We're glad to have the election behind us so we can focus on the real work of educating the community. It's important for all of us to keep talking about what's really in the Affordable Care Act.

Looking forward!
We will be celebrating the important reforms that will go into effect next month:

• Insurance companies will not be allowed to turn children down because they have a pre-existing condition and they must cover the medical care relating to those conditions (this will happen for adults, too in 2014).
• Insurance companies must allow parents to keep young adults on their insurance policy until the age of 26. The young adult does not have to be a dependent of the parent(s), does not have to live with the parent(s), and may be married.
• Insurance companies will not be allowed to cancel policies when people get sick (rescission) except in cases of fraudulent application.
• New group health plans cannot charge co-pays and deductibles for preventive care and may not discriminate in favor of higher wage employees.
• The law completely bans lifetime limits and tightly restricts new plans use of annual limits.
• A temporary program to help offset the costs of employers who provide health insurance for retirees between the age of 55-64 begins.

Protect this victory:  If you want to learn more about the immediate effects above, or to get more involved in our health care organizing, please contact health care organizer, Amy Smoucha, amy@mojwj.org or 314-608-3917.

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Good News, Bad News for MO Workers

Sunday, May 2 was the deadline to turn in signatures for November 2010 ballot initiatives in Missouri.  Missouri Jobs with Justice and its members organize every year to insure the values and interests of Missouri's workers are represented in this process.

2010 sees both good news and bad news for Missouri workers on the November 2010 ballot.

• The GOOD NEWS the so-called "Save Our Secret (SOS) Ballot" initiative failed to turn in signatures to qualify this anti-democratic initiative for the ballot. Read more
• The BAD NEWS is that the Millionaire Tax Cut – the Earnings Tax initiative did turn in enough signatures that it will likely qualify for the November 2010 statewide ballot. Read more about this reckless threat to essential public services in our state's two biggest economic centers

Find out more about these initiatives and what they mean to Missouri.

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Activist Tell Big Banks "Enough is Enough"

On Tuesday, April 27 members of Kansas City Jobs with Justice, SEIU Local 1 and GRO  participated in National People's Action's "Showdown in the Heartland."  Hundreds of activists marched through Kansas City to tell Bank of America and all Big Banks "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"!

Americans are demanding that the big banks take responsibility for the havoc they created and stop stonewalling the passage of common-sense financial reform that protects consumers and ensures they can't destroy our economy again.

This demonstration in the heart of Kansas City's financial district included  activists from Missouri, Kansas & Iowa and kick off a week of actions to hold Big Banks accountable in San Francisco, New York and Charlotte, NC. 

Read more about the "Showdown in the Heartland" HERE and HERE

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VICTORY:  Landmark Health Care Reform is a victory for working people!!

 You called Congress, canvassed your neighbors, raised awareness, money and power . . . all in support of historic legislation to reform and improve our health care system.

Yesterday, by a vote of 219-212, the US House of Representatives passed historic health care reform.  The measure will soon be signed into law by the President.

Final legislation reduces the deficit, expands health coverage to 32 million Americans, strengthens Medicare and Medicaid, and makes health coverage more affordable for all of us!

Now it’s time to call Congressman Cleaver at 1-866-922-4970 to tell him THANK YOU for voting for Health Care Reform!

Our work in Missouri ensuring that reform is implemented is beginning already, and we will need your help to bring this victory home.  DONATE to Jobs with Justice health care organizing project to shore up our resources for the state fight.

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Register Today for 2010 Building JwJ Leadership Program

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.

Full Tuition is $500 per participant, which includes lodging, refreshments and materials. The discount for JwJ Member Organizations and Sustaining Individual Members (who give to JwJ monthly on their credit or debit card, sign up to be a Sustainer) and their members is $250. Those who cannot afford tuition out-of-pocket can work with JwJ staff to fundraise their tution. Details on the "fundraising option" are in the program's brochure. You can register and make a payment online. All questions should be directed to Jennifer Rafanan, 314-644-0466, ext 15.

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Missouri JwJ Workers' Rights Board releases a report on the American Red Cross

Posted October 8, 2009

On Thursday, Oct. 8 We told the American Red Cross "Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!"

Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board released a national report today that raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products. Members of the Workers' Rights Board also hand delivered the reports to the St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross.

TAKE ACTION NOW! You too can tell the American Red Cross "Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!"

The investigative report, which also details the treatment of Red Cross employees and the impact this has on the organization's work, underscores the need for a new round of reforms at the troubled organization.

“Few national institutions have a prouder name or a more storied history than the American Red Cross,” writes Philip Dine, an award-winning labor reporter and the author of the report. “But many frontline blood workers see the Red Cross as an employer that is increasingly determined to cut expenses and increase revenues, even to the potential detriment of donor safety, employee wellbeing and the security of the nation’s blood supply.”

Speakers at the event include State Representative, the Reverend James Morris, Missouri House District 58, Red Cross Workers James Plotts and Mary McDougall, and Joan Suarez, Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board Chair.

Read the full report here.

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MO JwJ Leaders Head to DC for Employee Free Choice

Posted September 14, 2009

The Missouri delegation includes: Jerry King, St. Louis Workers Rights Board and real estate developer; Christine Grande, Human Rights Office of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph; Rhonda Perry, a family farmer from Howard County and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center as well as JwJ State Board member; and Linda Meyer, former reporter of the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. Meyer was part of leading a union organizing campaign at the Suburban Journals that illustrates perfectly the need for the Employee Free Choice Act.

"Working people should have power to establish equal footing in their place of employment, in order to pursue a better quality of life, liberty, and happiness," says Reverend Walter Maddox, Lane Tabernacle CME Church who visited earlier this year with Congressmen William "Lacy" Clay about supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. "If we do not fight for working families, we will lose that part of the American Dream."

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Kansas City JwJ celebrates Labor Day by focusing on Health Care.

Posted September 10, 2009

On Monday, September 7 Jobs with Justice Leaders and Staff participated in the annual Kansas City Labor Day Parade .JwJ's top priority for this year’s celebration was to help raise the visibility of health care as a key issue for working people. Leaders and Staff worked hard, organizing a health care reform “yard sign-making” table for other participants in the parade.

CLICK HERE to find out how our visibility work helped the Labor Day coverage include a critical policy issue of the day .

Jobs with Justice also sends a great THANKS TO OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT for their hard work organizing the parade and being welcoming to allies like JwJ as part of their festivities.

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MISSOURI'S SERVERS GET A RAISE TOMORROW – THANKS TO YOU!

Posted July 23, 2009

Tomorrow the federal minimum wage is increasing to $7.25/hour. And thanks to Proposition B, passed overwhelming with your help in Missouri in 2006, waiters and waitresses around Missouri will also get a raise. Their minimum wage is 50% of Missouri's minimum wage for non-tipped workers.

This last legislative session Jobs with Justice and the waiters and waitresses of the "Save Our Tips" campaign (see picture at right) narrowly defeated state legislation that would have excluded waiters and waitresses from increases in the minimum wage. Because of that successful campaign nearly 60,000 waiters and waitresses will get a raise tomorrow.

But the Battle is Coming Again

Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka) vowed to re-introduce legislation to exclude tipped employees from future minimum wage increases – maybe even CUT their pay back to the federal minimum of $2.13/hour! With your help, JwJ and the waiters and waitresses of the "Save Our Tips" campaign will be ready to go BACK to the Capitol and defend their minimum wage.

Here's how you can help:

Donate just $20 today to help raise $2000 for a Missouri server lobby day to protecttheir wages when the attacks begin next session (or you can donate through our Facebook page)

Download a "tip card" to make sure your waiters and waitresses know they've gotten a raise - and they can defend that raise by going to www.SaveOurTips.org

Visit the Save Our Tips website for more information and to find out how you can continue to help.

Visit the Missouri Department of Labor for more information on tomorrow's minimum wage increase.

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CWA Informational Picket

Posted July 7, 2009

On Tuesday, July 7 - We told AT&T to give workers and retirees a fair contract.

KC JwJ joined CWA members in an informational picket at AT&T in Independence, MO. CWA is fighting for a fair contract that respects retirees and protects health care for all workers’ families.

For more on this important fight, visit MO JwJ Member Organization CWA Local 6360 online.

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June 17 Rally for the Employee Free Choice Act

Posted June 19, 2009

On Wednesday, June 17 - We told Elected officials To support the Employee Free Choice Act and help re-build our economy.

Kansas City Jobs with Justice and the Kansas City AFL-CIO, along with countless unions, community groups, activists and elected officials rallied on June 17 in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Almost 150 Jobs with Justice Activists and allies gathered in the parking lot of Home Depot to remind elected officials how critical the Employee Free Choice Act is to protecting the rights of workers and rebuilding our economy.

Hear a news report on the rally from Heartland Labor Forum on KKFI

Watch video of the Rally

ClickHere and Here for articles on the Rally

Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act

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You Did It!! Missouri JwJ members Saved Our Tips

Posted May 29, 2009

The waiters and waitresses in Missouri will NOT have to deal with a paycut during this economic crisis. Despite the best efforts of some Missouri legislators, the waiters and waitresses in Missouri united with their allies through Jobs with Justice and defeated Rep. Tim Jones' (R-Eureka) bill to weaken the minimum wage for tipped employees.

In 2006, 76.4% of Missouri voters passed Proposition B which increased the wage for tipped employees. The ballot initiative passed in every single Missouri county by 16 points or more. Since then, business interests and their allies in the legislators have tried to chip away at the minimum wage continually.

During the last 4 months of the legislative session you sent thousands of emails, made calls, and lobbied your legislators and they heard you loud and clear. Thanks to tremendous pressure the bill died in the Senate as the legislative session came to a close on May 15.

THEY'LL BE BACK AND WE'LL BE READY!

The restaurant industry and its lobbyists were clear that they are not done trying to pick the pockets of their waiters and waitresses. We expect to see another bill to undermine the tipped employee minimum wage next session so JwJ and its leaders will continue to strengthen our network of waiters, waitresses and supporters of working people throughout the state to protect FAIR WAGES FOR SERVERS.

Go HERE to learn more about leaders that gave key support to this campaign.

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Save Our Tips Pub-Crawl

Posted April 23, 2009

On Wednesday April 22, 2009 - We went to where HB258 Hurts the Most!

A six member team of JwJ leaders and activists held a JwJ Organizing Committee Save Our Tips Pub-Crawl last Tuesday. The team visited 6 locations including 3 establishments with management that supports the bill. Members worked to educate servers and allies on HB258, the bill that would freeze minimum wage for servers at $3.52, as well as sign them up to Take Action.

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Visit the St. Louis Jobs with Justice site.
Visit the Missouri Jobs with Justice site.