Victory for Missouri Workers

By Bradley Harmon
President of CWA Local 6355

In a major blow to a concerted right-wing campaign to undermine workers' rights and public services, Missouri CWA members, working in a coalition with labor, faith, student and community groups succeeded in pressuring the Missouri legislature to sustain Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of two key bills today.

The Missouri legislature began the year with the largest Republican majority in state history.  Anti-worker leaders promised a robust legislative agenda undermining unions and cutting taxes on corporations.  CWA members and allies were encouraged this spring when the Missouri House passed a so called “paycheck protection” bill with a bare majority.  Democratic Governor Jay Nixon promised to veto the bill.  The Senate had earlier passed the bill with more than the necessary votes to override any veto.

The House and Senate also passed a special interest funded corporate tax cut bill with substantial majorities in the spring.  The bill threatened the jobs of 6,000 CWA represented state workers and tens of thousands of school district employees, including 300 represented by CWA in St. Louis County.  Governor Nixon vetoed the bill and, with CWA and allies campaigned aggressively to sustain the veto.  Extremist billionaires and their lobbying fronts in the Chamber of Commerce spent millions on a summer-long public relations campaign to round up the votes to override the veto.  Texas Governor Rick Perry even flew in to threaten Missouri politicians that jobs would flee to his state if the Governor’s veto was sustained.

Today, on the first day of the veto session, both bills died a well deserved death.  Pressure from CWA members led to two Senators to switch their votes on the paycheck protection bill, leading to its demise.  In the face of overwhelming money and astroturf, a sufficient number of Representatives in the Missouri House voted to sustain Governor Nixon’s veto of the corporate tax cut bill.

CWA Local 6450 President Billy Moffett, Chief Steward Richard Hunt, Billy’s daughter Ciera and Rick’s son Ian canvassing in Harrisonville, Missouri against overriding Governor Nixon’s Veto of House Bill 253, a corporate tax cut scheme that would have gutted public services in Missouri.

CWA members and allies in Jefferson City this Spring lobbying against SB 29, a paycheck deception bill designed to cripple public sector unions in Missouri.

CWA Public Sector Vice President Brooks Sunkett and CWA members and allies in Jefferson City this Spring lobbying against SB 29, a paycheck deception bill designed to cripple public sector unions in Missouri.