Hundreds of Missouri workers and volunteers use their voices to take a stand to ‘Vote NO on Prop. A’
By TIM ROWDEN
Editor
“Prop. A is wrong for Missouri” was the message carried on May 12 by Missouri workers and their supporters to communities across the state. Hundreds of people knocked on doors and spoke with voters about the “NO on Prop A” campaign, the referendum to repeal the so-called “right-to-work” (RTW) bill signed into law last year.
The Day of Action kicked off a growing and diverse movement of Missourians dedicated to protecting workers’ rights, wages, healthcare, benefits and way of life that will continue through Election Day.
More than 500 Volunteers showed up to support events in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, St. Charles, Cape Girardeau, Wentzville, Festus, and Bridgeton, Missouri.
“Folks are energized to go out and talk with their neighbors and voters about the disastrous consequences of this bill,” said Erin Schrimpf, a spokeswoman for We Are Missouri, the coalition of workers’ groups that organized the successful state-wide effort to circulate a petition placing Prop. A (RTW) on the ballot for voters to decide. “Over 310,000 Missourians signed our referendum to place this issue on the ballot and we can’t wait to share with voters why Proposition A is wrong for Missouri.”
EYES OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT ARE ON MISSOURI
State Senator Jake Hummel, secretary-treasurer of the Missouri AFL-CIO and a member of IBEW Local 1, spoke with volunteers at Laborers Local 110 hall before they hit the street.
“This is the start of us taking back this country,” said Hummel. “The eyes of the entire Labor Movement are on Missouri. The fight for our way of life is not in Washington, D.C., it’s not on the east coast, it’s not on the west coast, it’s in Missouri. Every single union in this country, every working family is looking at Missouri. This is our time to be able to push back against corporate interests.
“We do not have as much money as they do,” Hummel told volunteers gathered and Laborers Local 110’s hall in south St. Louis County, “but they do not have this.
“Polling shows that we can will if we go out and talk to our people. Polling shows that we will win if we knock on doors. We’re going to beat these guys. That is why the eyes of the country are on Missouri.
“It’s going to be a long summer. We’re going to get burned out, we’re going to get hot, we’re going to get tired. But we have to do this,” Hummel stressed. “We can’t sit back and say ‘Well, we beat it in 1978, we’ll beat it this time.’ We have to get out and talk to our friends and family and get everyone engaged.”
CAN’T AFFORD A PAY CUT FOR OUT-OF-STATE CEOS
“I can’t afford to take a pay cut,” said Penny Washington of Kansas City. “If Proposition A passes, it’s going to make it harder to pay my bills. Forget luxuries, I am talking about keeping the lights on and my kids fed.”
“I am already just scraping by with costs like food and gas going up, and I’m afraid if Prop. A passes, folks like me are really going to be hurt,” said Josh Peniston, of Bonne Terre.
“I shouldn’t be forced to take a pay cut because some out-of-state CEO wants to pad his bank account,” said Brad Heitz of Wentzville. “I want to make sure my neighbors know just how bad Proposition A is, it’s not what it seems and it’s wrong for Missouri.”
PEOPLE SUPPORTIVE OF
VOTING ‘NO’ ON PROP. A
Pat White, president of the St. Louis Labor Council, met with volunteers in St. Charles before they hit the streets, thanking them for taking time out from graduations and Mother’s Day weekend to knock on doors and speak with voters. “We have to do our best to keep getting the word out,” he said.
Michael Fox, Sr., president and field representative for Bricklayers Local 1, went door-to-door with Journeyman Bricklayer Dan Giebe.
“The people we talked to seemed very supportive of voting ‘No’ on Prop A,” Fox said. “We just have to keep talking and keep the topic at the forefront of our discussions with friends, neighbors and family members.”
White reminded members and volunteers that the most important issue to make sure everyone we know is registered and ready to vote.
GET INVOLVED
To get involved get regular updates on the campaign and volunteer opportunities, text RepealRTW to 97779.
[box style=”4″]
Register to vote to defeat Prop. A (RTW)
If you want to protect your job and your paycheck by voting “NO” on Prop. A, you must be registered to vote.
You can register to vote, and get everyone in your family who is 18 or older registered, several ways.
ONLINE
If you’re not registered, not sure if your registered, or have not voted in the last few elections, you can register or re-register online at sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register.
It won’t hurt to re-register if you’re not sure. State law allows you to register to vote as often as you like.
COUNTY ELECTION BOARD, CITY HALL OR LIBRARY
You can also register at your county election authority or election board. To find your election board’s address go to sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority.
In St. Louis County, the board has moved to the former Northwest Plaza shopping center at Lindbergh and St. Charles Rock Road. It is located on the south side of the building. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
St. Louis County registration forms can also be downloaded at stlouisco.com/elections.
You can also register at your local city hall or library.
MOVED? NAME CHANGE?
If you have moved since the last time you voted, or have had a name change since the last election, you must resubmit the Missouri Voter Registration Application (available at sos.mo.gov/votemissouri/request) to the office of your new election authority.
To find the office location, go to sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority.
[/box]
- Share this story:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-