Blogs

Early this morning, AFSCME leaders from Missouri and Kansas started streaming into a conference center in Mid Missouri, excited and ready to continue building and growing the Union.  Sharing tips that have assisted members from Nevada to Farmington, St Joseph to Fulton, and Kansas City to St Louis in organizing for power, the energy in the room is one of momentum that can't be stopped.

Debbie Kistner, president of Local 622 in Nevada, told of organizing new members who see what the union is doing to fight back for workers' rights.  From North Kansas City Local 3820 we've heard powerful stories of standing up and fighting back against forces that would have done away with the union.

Above all, we are hearing of the determination from leaders to continue developing a strong, powerful union that builds a community in the workplace, enables workers with the skills to increase membership and putting in place a clear vision for setting goals and putting action plans in place to achive those goals.

When your leaders return to your local, ask them what they learned this weekend and how you, too, can be more involved in the Union. 

We're stronger together!

With the Occupy Wall Street protests resonating with citizens across the country calling for a fair economy and for the 1% to pay their fair share, an AFSCME brother from Wisconsin headed to Wall Street.  This is what he found:

To get more involved with Occupy actions in Missouri, check out Occupy St. Louis, Occupy Kansas City and Occupy Springfield.

On September 30, 2011, AFSCME Council 72's Bargaining Team gathered in Jefferson City to sign the new Master Contract.  The new contract has a number of benefits for Missouri state workers including a 2% wage increase in the 2013 fiscal year upon appropriation by the legislature, binding arbitration, and additional measures to increase cooperation in finding ways to provide the best, most cost effective public services.

Below, please find a link to the Master Contract effective October 15, 2011 for AFSCME Council 72 and the State of Missouri for the Craft and Maintenance and Direct Care Bargaining Units.

Click here to download the contract.

We've gotten word that the United States Senate will be holding a vote on President Obama's American Jobs Act today.  This bill will assist our communities in rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and create nearly 2 million jobs for teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public workers.  In addition, it will ensure that 5 million Americans who are currently receiving unemployment benefits continue to receive them.

With a majority of Americans asking that the rich pay their fair share, the American Jobs Act will be paid for by a 5.6% surtax on millionaires.

It's past time to put Missourians and Americans back to work, and this bill will do just that.  Please join me in calling our Missouri Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and telling them to vote YES on the American Jobs Act.  We need our leaders in Washington to put workers and jobs before partisan battles.

Please take a minute to call Senator McCaskill and Senator Blunt: 1-888-665-9823.

Also, if you're in the St Louis area this Friday, October 14, we will be joining our sisters and brothers at a rally and march as we support Occupy St Louis in Kiener Plaza at 3:30PM.  Wall Street bankers and fat cat corporate CEOs wrecked the economy, and we’ve been paying the price. While hundreds of thousands of Missourians are out of work, there are roads, bridges and schools crumbling in our own neighborhoods.

Day in and day out, St. Louisans have been protesting in Kiener plaza to demand that the voice of the 99% - all of us - be heard on Wall Street, in Jefferson City and in Washington, DC. We need good jobs now, not more of the same old politics. Be there Friday and send a strong message against corporate greed and for good jobs in our communities.

Parking will be a challenge, please take Metro to 8th & Pine. RSVP at 573-635-9145 to let us know you're coming!