Collective bargaining Comes to the City of Springfield

Now that Springfield is bargaining with their employees, it's time for the City of Columbia to wake up to the fact that a one time per year "Meet and Confer" session isn't constitutional.   The Independence NEA v Independence School District case decided by the Missouri Supreme Court in May 2007 made that clear.   If one of the unions representing city employees decided to sue the city, the City of Columbia would lose.

Collective bargaining continues for city of Springfield
St. Louis attorney is helping city negotiate initial contracts
Springfield News Leader
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20130916/NEWS01/309160020/city-of-Springfield-collective-bargaining

For Now Adults Can Decide How They Will Use Payroll Deducation.

Payheck Deception is dead for now.  No doubt it will rise from the dead next session.  Party now, then get ready for a fight in January.

Missour Net

In case stopping awful legislation from becoming law in the Missouri legislative Veto Session isn't victory enough for you,  here's a fun win.  The infamous ALEC just lost the 50th business as a member.  Nice!  As ALEC loses funding from businesses we know they can make it up with more funds from the likes of billionaire  Rex Sinquefield.   But it becomes harder for them to portray themselves as a coalition of businesses interested in better public policy.   A coalition of greedy billionaires just doesn't sound as good.

From Jobs with Justice/American Rights at Work

It’s not every day I have good news to share, and today marks one of those rare occasions. Today I found out that Sallie Mae officially left ALEC!*

We did it! Your emails to Sallie Mae executives; our relentless organizing of student activists, consumer advocates, labor and education groups; and our protests and demonstrations at Sallie Mae’s shareholder meeting in May and at the ALEC convention in August, all added up.

After months of pressure, the nation’s largest private student loan lender succumbed. Sallie Mae is now the 50th company to leave the extremist, anti-democratic, pay-to-play front group for right-wing corporate interests. For too long, Sallie Mae has effectively skirted regulation, ignored calls for transparency, and stayed out of the public's eye despite its major role in the student debt crisis. But thanks to our efforts, Sallie Mae is no longer operating under the radar.

This is a terrific victory to celebrate. But our work isn’t done. We have much more to do in our fight to end Sallie Mae’s predatory practices and to push for student debt relief.

We’re not naïve. We know we can't win big victories against big corporations alone. We can only do it when we come together to tackle our fights, from every angle, with all our energy. We can't win without you.

Thanks again!

--Chris,
Student Debt Organizer, Jobs with Justice and American Rights at Work

* http://www.jwj.org/blog/victory-sallie-mae-leaves-alec

Working Missourians Win at Veto Session

Missourians who work for a living got some important victories in the Capitol on September 11.   Organized labor and our allies have reason to be proud of our work today.

Missouri NEA Special Legislative Update
September 11, 2013
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director


HOUSE SUSTAINS VETO AND DEFEATS HB 253, THE CORPORATE TAX CUT BILL

The House sustained Governor Jay Nixon's veto of SS/HB 253 on
September 11 by a vote of 94-67.  The bill was defeated and will not
become law.  A veto override requires a two-thirds majority vote of at
least 109 Representatives and 23 Senators.

The Association strongly opposed the bill and worked with the
Coalition for Missouri's Future (CMF) in a successful effort to
sustain the Governor's veto of the bill. The bill would have
significantly cut state revenues and harmed the state's ability to
support our public schools.  The Association appreciates the effort of
members who supported the effort to sustain the Govenronr's veto on HB
253.

SENATE SUSTAINS VETO AND DEFEATS PAYCHECK DECEPTION BILL

The Senate sustained the veto of SB 29 (Brown), the Paycheck Deception
bill, by a vote of 22-11, just one vote short of the 23 votes required
for an override. The bill was defeated and will not become law.  Sen.
Wayne Wallingford voted against the bill along with all minority
caucus members. Sen. Gary Romine did not vote.  SB 29 would have
restricted the ability of public labor union members to use payroll
deduction to pay their dues and voluntary political contributions.
The Association strongly opposed the bill and supported the Governor's
veto of SB 29


HOUSE SUSTAINS VETOES AND DEFEATS UNEMPLOYMENT COMP DISQUALIFICATION BILLS

The House sustained the Governor's veto and defeated HB 611 (Lant)
which contained the provisions of SB 28 (Kraus).  The Senate voted to
override the veto on SB 28, but the House made no motion on the bill
after HB 611 was defeated.  Neither bill will become law.  Both bills
would have revised the definition of “misconduct” used to disqualify
former employees from receiving unemployment compensation benefits.
The bills include consideration of off-hours and off-site conduct,
without adequate safeguards to ensure unemployment disqualification
would be related to activities that actually affect job performance or
have a harmful effect on the work environment.  The Association
opposed both bills and supported Governor Nixon's vetoes.