CWA Files Lawsuit to Fight for Collective Bargaining Rights for Missouri Workers

A coalition of labor unions representing Missouri state workers, including CWA, filed a lawsuit last week challenging the recently passed Missouri Senate Bill 1007, which strips public service workers of collectively bargained protections on the job. The lawsuit was filed with the Cole County Circuit Court by CWA Local 6355, AFSCME Council 61, and SEIU Local 1.

SB 1007 infringes upon Missouri state workers' collective bargaining rights, which Missourians have enshrined in their constitution's Bill of Rights. The right to bargain over protections from arbitrary and discriminatory termination and discipline, and to commit to agreements containing these protections, is central to these protected collective bargaining rights – as is the right to file grievances and be heard when these rights are violated.

"SB 1007 is an attack on our fundamental rights as workers to organize and our ability to collectively bargain," said CWA Local 6355 President Natashia Pickens. "CWA members are not just going to stand by and let them diminish the rights of workers and the families we serve."