North County Labor Club donates $10,000 to defeat RTW, help union families

By MARY ANN O’TOOLE HOLLEY

Correspondent

Members of the North County Labor Legislative Club are giving back, donating $5,000 to “$8 for 8” campaign to defeat so-called “right-to-work” (for less) at the ballot box and $5,000 to the St. Louis Labor Council’s “$5 for the Fight” Fund to assist union families facing financial hardship.

“That’s what the Labor Club is all about,” said Club President Fred Searcy, of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562. “We raise funds to help elect political candidates who support working men and women, we help support Labor causes and we help our brothers and sisters when they need it.”

The Labor Council’s “$5 for the Fight” Fund, managed by the Greater St. Louis United Way, was nearly depleted last year before union members stepped up, donating tens of thousands of dollars to help union brothers and sisters facing hardship due to medical bills, layoffs or other challenges.

The North County Labor Club’s donation was among the largest received.

$8 for 8 NOW $18 for ’18

The “$8 for 8” campaign, so named for the historic feat of working Missourians and their allies who gathered 310,567 petition signatures in ALL EIGHT of Missouri’s congressional districts to halt and repeal the state’s RTW legislation will help fund We Are Missouri’s education campaign so voters can make an informed choice about the destructive anti-union, anti-worker measure.

The Koch Brothers-funded Americans For Prosperity and other corporate-funded anti-worker groups are spending millions to defeat us and the “$8 for 8” campaign, which has since become the “18 for ’18” campaign, will help ensure working men and women understand truth about RTW and the harm it will have to their paychecks, job security, workplace safety and communities.

‘ONLY THE BEGINNING’

“This is only the beginning,” Searcy said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of doors to knock on and a lot of phone calls to make. We’re glad to be able to contribute to this cause. I’m proud of our Club members for raising these funds.

“We have to send a message to those who want to lower our wages and silence our voices, and we must spend this next year showing voters in every county that so-called “right-to-work” is WRONG for Missouri and will hurt all of us.”

DONATE $18 FOR ’18

You can donate to the “$18 for ’18” campaign to defeat RTW online by visiting wearemo.org and clicking the red “Donate” button at the top of the page.

Or, if you prefer, you can mail your donation to:

We Are Missouri
227 Jefferson St.
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Your donation will help ensure working people have a voice in deciding whether Missouri will be another race to the bottom, union-busting RTW state or a place of good, safe jobs with fair wages, quality health care and the chance to retire with dignity.

DONATE $5 FOR THE FIGHT

Even with the outpouring of support, the “$5 for the Fight” Fund relies on regular donations from union members to meet the ongoing challenges of union brothers and sisters in need.

One hundred percent of each donation goes to the “Fight Fund.” All efforts to promote and service the Fund are donated by the Labor Council, the United Way and the Labor Tribune.

Donations to the “$5 for the Fight” Fund can be made by check, online or through the Schnucks eScrip program. Here’s how:

• Mail a check or money order to “$5 for the Fight,” c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Please include your union affiliation.
• Make an online donation by visiting labortribune.com and clicking “$5 for the Fight” Donations in the right-hand column. An option to create a Recurring Automated Donation is also available.
• The Schnucks eScrip program is “free money” for the Fight Fund; it doesn’t cost you a penny to participate. Just pick up a free eScrip card at your local Schnucks. When you show it at checkout, Schnucks will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Fight Fund. The amount varies with your monthly purchases: one percent for the first $300; two percent from $301-$600; and three percent from $601- $999.

This is easy money for the Fight Fund, and it won’t cost you a dime.