Do Not Pass Go: Missouri Rallies Halt Republicans’ Anti Union Bill

[1776Forever]

Do Not Pass Go: Missouri Rallies Halt Republicans’ Anti Union Bill
Politicus USA
March 15, 2011
By Sarah Jones

http://www.politicususa.com/en/missouri-halt-anti-union-bill

Last night as Republicans sought to pass a “right to work” bill in Missouri, over 500 workers packed the state Senate gallery, reminding lawmakers of the 5000 anti-union bill protesters who filled Kiener Plaza last week. Republicans were unable to even gather enough support to bring their anti-union bill to a vote...

The Republicans attempt to dismantle unions across this country was a gamble that is not going to end well for them. Not only did they offend the deep-seated and shared values of fairness and hard work instilled in Midwesterners, but they attacked what they’ve long claimed to be their own “base,” — the hard working upper middle, those “mom and pops.” They are, however, catering to their real voters – the poorer, uneducated segment of Americans, who are more easily manipulated to believe that the reason they are out of work is because some evil union thug took their job, rather than the far too often truth that Republican fiscal policies are keeping their Southern red state broke and begging for federal money that gets funneled to private contractor buddies of smug, sanctimonious, golf-playing Southern Republican elites who tell their starving constituents that “God will provide what the state will not.” The ironies never cease.

Missouri is one state where the Republicans can’t even get past “Go” with their anti union busting measures. One thing Republicans don’t understand is that when it comes to fairness and issues of basic human rights, they can’t divide the blue and white collar workers like they continue to try to do. Teachers stand with teamsters who stand with farmers who stand with musicians and they all object to this outrageous assault on human liberty and long fought for rights.

(more at link)

............

Way to Go Missouri!

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo:

[CatWoman]

where's the link?

[1776Forever]

2. Thanks - thought I had put it on there - here it is and put it on the post too. n/t

http://www.politicususa.com/en/missouri-halt-anti-union-bill

[HereSince1628]

1. Congrats Missouri!

[roguevalley]

13. wow. go missouri!

[Blue Owl]

3. as it should be

:kick:

[1gobluedem]

4. Yay!

Michiganders take note....:applause:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

5. Fantastic!!

:yourock: :applause:

[pacalo]

6. "Right to work" = right to work for slave wages.

Tweeting from last night’s session, Missouri AFL-CIO communications director Cathy Sherwin noted that opposition to the bill crossed party lines, including Sen. Kevin Engler (R) who said his parents’ union membership benefited both the family and the state.

“Because my parents had good union benefits, my parents are going into a nursing home with NO state benefits needed at no cost to state.”

[1776Forever]

11. Yes! We need to get things like this out more! Thanks for posting! n/t

[AlbertCat]

38. "Right to work" = right to work for slave wages.

As a resident of a (shut up and get) "right to work" state, I concur.

Not only that, but if one does join a union in a "right to work" state.... you'll never work there again.

[Matariki]

7. Well written

rather than the far too often truth that Republican fiscal policies are keeping their Southern red state broke and begging for federal money that gets funneled to private contractor buddies of smug, sanctimonious, golf-playing Southern Republican elites who tell their starving constituents that “God will provide what the state will not.”

Very astute.

[Divine Discontent]

8. K&R!

woohoo!

[Scurrilous]

9. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Sky Masterson]

10. Yay, My State!

:applause: Suck on that Koch bros!

[sabrina 1]

12. Stupid bullies. Great to see them losing everywhere.

[Populist_Prole]

14. So glad to hear. 2nd good thing I've heard all day

Good to see the fascist momentum checked.

[leftstreet]

15. K&R

[onestepforward]

16. Good job, Missouri!

:yourock:

[madamesilverspurs]

17. Message to would-be union busters --

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!


-

[socialist_n_TN]

18. Solidarity with the Show Me state workers........

Lot's of good news today. :)

[Plucketeer]

19. GO BIG MO!!!! nt

[RayOfHope]

20. I live in the 3rd largest city in MO. There was not ONE WORD in our paper about this

In fact, had I not read it here, I would have not known these rallies were happening.

Stupid fucking media.

[Divine Discontent]

25. and your post is EXACTLY why the corporations want to go after control of the internet

if we don't know it's happening, how can we be a part? they want to cripple the flow of information and make it appear the only thing newsworthy is what they SAY is newsworthy.

Thanks for posting that info about your paper's mysterious non-mention of this... shocking, right?

[xmas74]

30. I'm in Warrensburg.

The only mention of this will be in the university's newspaper on Thursday. There will be no mention locally.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. We had 500 at a labor rally in KC on Sat

Not a peep from our local media. And they were THERE.

[Kingofalldems]

21. K and R for good news!

[Overseas]

22. K&R and Many Thanks ! //nt

[MadMaddie]

23. "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"

Simple, yet true.

[Raksha]

24. K & R

[Scottybeamer70]

26. I guess the

"Show Me State"..........showed 'em.........:rofl:

[JeffersonChick]

27. k&r

[Frisbee]

28. It's nice to be able to be proud of my red state for a change! n/t

[calimary]

29. Nice to hear that the GOP is being stopped - SOMEWHERE.

The Show Me State folks probably decided the GOP had shown them enough not to be trusted anymore.

[AllyCat]

31. Wow, way to go Missouri! That is super!

[Sherman A1]

32. While good news on the surface

The GOP has 4 versions of RTW in both the Missouri House & Senate. They will be pushing this again and again and again.

[66 dmhlt]

35. But Majority Leader Sen. Dempsey (R-St. Charles) OPPOSES the bill

And he controls the debate agenda.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_7753e209-aa0f-5b65-a2a0-db82dd414414.html

[MaeScott]

33. K and R.

[jdadd]

34. We had a pretty good turnout

last night in the rain. I'm surprised this "red area" of Ohio can muster this many people for a protest. Something tells me, the moneyed interests in this country have jerked the tiger's tail once too often.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. And the weather was horrible!

I had planned on going until I heard the forecast for 8" of snow.

So kudos to the 500 who braved the weather to be there.

[SweepPicker]

43. K&R

Great job Missouri!

[joanbarnes]

39. I live in Missouri

I hope its not too soon to celebrate. They are also trying to repeal child labor protection!

[ccjlld]

41. And

they are also trying to repeal the minimum wage law that 76% of us voters approved!

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. There are about 50 proposed laws - all bad- in Jeff City

Worst I've seen in a long time.

[logosoco]

40. I emailed my state rep. about the proposed law to abolish

child labor. Luckily he is against it.
I remember well the Right to Work is a Rip Off campaign in the late 70s (I was still in jr. high and didn't understand it really, but I was starting to pay attention). I am really hoping to see the same support as it is coming up again.
I am thinking the repubs. are going to try to convince us that we don't have jobs here because business doesn't like unions. But there are still plenty of successful businesses here in Mo. The unions haven't driven them out. The reason we don't have jobs in MO is the same reason they don't have jobs in MI and OH...they are not in this country anymore.

[Swampguana]

42. way to go guys!!!

[Butch350]

44. From the "Show Me State"...

"We Showed You"!!

[caseymoz]

45. GOP sold people a fantasy for decades.

I mean, Ayn Rand's philosophy, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, etc. sell people a fantasy world. It inspires many people on paper.

Once they actually succeed in making it real life, though, it swiftly loses its appeal, as the GOP is comically find out. Widespread breaking of unions during harsh economic times quickly brings people out of fantasy.

Now, combine that with the widespread attacks on reproductive rights, widespread bank foreclosures, two wars, and mix in unnerving natural and man-made disasters, etc. and you have a recipe for real foment against the GOP.

[defendandprotect]

48. Elites have largely succeded which is why they can be so bold now ....

The highest union membership we ever reached was 39% -- think it's at 8% or below now --

due to right wing attacks -- even the use of MAFIA to destroy unions!

Why in the hell do we need a company or corporation's approval to have a union?

We should organize LABOR across the states -- every American who identifies themselves

as LABOR included! Take that to the states and demand universal health care state by state.

and go on from there --

The LABOR organization -- LABOR UNITED -- would set the terms for employment -- hours,

wages and working conditions --

companies would have to come to them for employees --










The Rightwing Koch Bros. Funded the DLC --

http://www.democrats.com/node/7789

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

If you knew, why didn't you tell us?

If you didn't know, pass it along!

:)

[defendandprotect]

49. kr

[caseymoz]

52. You mean they've calculated that they can be so bold now.

Have they miscalculated? The problem with propaganda is that its not just pawns, but the players get misled. They begin to believe their own lies, because just repeating them causes that. Definitely, a lot of the right-wing political leadership right now was raised on the propaganda it thinks is the truth. But again, the world that they've accepted in principle looks a lot different in actuality. I mean, America went through that kind of reality check during the Great Depression. The wealthiest one percent were allowed to grab as much wealth as they could before that. Why didn't people stop them? Because in principle they believed people should be able to do that. When they got a taste of the results, though, they didn't like it.

We have to prove them wrong, prove that they have miscalculated. Problem is, we don't really know until we find out.

One thing, it's a movement that has to expand beyond labor. Capitalism morphed into consumerism in order to defeat communism. Consumerism put a wedge between consumers and workers, made them adversarial. That's what has to be repaired. That's what caused the decline of labor. People thought of themselves as subservient at work but masters when they purchased.

[Starry Messenger]

46. k&r

[RoccoR5955]

50. RepubliCONs are STILL overreaching.

They still think that they can pass these things through, even after Wisconsin. I guess that they are just taking orders from their corporate masters.

[fishwax]

51. YES!

Way to go Missouri!

:kick: