Jan. 18, 2023 Labor Tribune

What’s Inside

So-called ‘right-to-work,’ unemployment benefit cuts are back in the Missouri Legislature Missouri AFL-CIO tracking over 70 Labor-related bills

By SHERI GASSAWAY Assistant Editor

IBEW Local 1439 welcomes new members

Page 3

Jefferson City – The Missouri AFL-CIO is closely monitoring a host of bills filed in the state legislature that would negatively impact Labor, one of which would enable counties to enact phony so-called “right-to-work” laws.

This, even after Missouri voters overwhelming defeated so-called “right-to-work” in 2018.

The bill, filed by Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb), would prohibit employers from requiring

employees to become a member of a Labor Organization or pay dues as a condition of employment in counties which approve the measure. Counties would need to submit the question to voters, and if approved by a majority, the bill would become law.

souri AFL-CIO President Jake Hummel. “Missourians rejected Proposition A by a better than twoto-one majority, 67.5 percent to 32.5 percent.”

UNEMPLOYMENT CUTS Another bill, introduced by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter (R-Jefferson City), would cut unemployment benefits based on the state’s unemployment rate. Currently, Missourians may receive up to 20 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Under the proposed measure, recipients would only be eligible for 20 weeks if the unemployment rate

PHONY ‘RIGHT-TO-WORK’ “Missouri voters were clear in 2018 when they defeated so-called “right-towork” in 99 of Missouri’s 114 counties and the City of St. Louis,” said Mis-

HUMMEL

See MO LAWS page 15

VOLUME 87 No. 25 ® ★

★

THE MISSOURI AFL-CIO is closely tracking the many bills pre-filed in the state legislature that would negatively impact Labor, including another attempt at phony so-called “right-to-work.”

Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

★

Laborers Local 42 donates to Missouri Jobs with Justice Page 3

Contractor organizes huge raffle to help two Laborers seriously injured on the job Page 4

DOL rule would promote apprenticeships, tighten program Labor standards Page 6

87

YEARS

U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush calls for investigation into Northview Village closure Class action suit filed alleging WARN Act violation

By TIM ROWDEN Editor-in-Chief Brentwood, MO – U.S. Congresswomen Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is calling for an investigation into the closure of Northview Village Nursing Home, the 320-bed facility that shut down without notice last month, scattering 175 residents to other care centers across the region and leaving 184 employees unemployed without warning and without their final paychecks less than two weeks before Christmas.

Speaking directly to Northview

FORMER WORKERS at Northview Village nursing home gathered outside the offices of Northview Village, Healthcare Accounting Services on Monday, Jan. 8, to demand their owed paychecks following the nursing homes abrupt closure on Dec. 15, 2023. U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush (at the podium) announced she was calling for an investigation into the closure.

– SEIU Healthcare screencap

the patient advocacy infrastructure that are necessary to keep tragedies like this one from happening in long term care facililties BUSH across the state,” Bush said. “Reporting indicates that out of the 510 nursing homes in Missouri, 126 have not been inspected in over two years. That’s not right. That is the equivalent of almost one in five nursing homes across the state not being properly inspected for health and for safety.

If these allegations are true, the See NORTHVIEW VILLAGE page 11

Durbin, Duckworth call for non-unionized automakers to stop interfering in unionization efforts

By ELIZABETH DONALD Illinois Correspondent

Fundraiser set up for Rock Community fire fighter who died unexpectedly Page 8

workers – represented by SEIU Healthcare – as well as former residents and loved ones outside owner Health Accounting Services offices in Brentwood, Bush said, “What you experienced on Dec. 15 and in the direct aftermath, was unfair, unimaginable and absolutely reprehensible.”

Bush called for probes into the facility’s owners, and into the state’s systems for overseeing nursing homes. She made the same demands the day of the rally in a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

“The state has consistently failed to adequately fund inspections and

Washington – Illinois’ senators are leading a call for non-unionized automakers to stop interfering with unionization at their buildings.

Now that the United Auto Workers strike is over and the agreements between them and the Big Three automakers are ratified, there are thousands of non-union autoworkers attempting to organize and join the UAW. The UAW announced a major effort to organize the U.S. factories of 13 non-union automakers in

Periodicals Publication

AU TO M A K E R U N I O N BUSTING: Illinois Senators Duck Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are calling on nonunionized automakers like Tesla to stop interring in unionization efforts.

– A Fair Future At Tesla

November. The effort affects about 150,000 employees at 36 non-union plants, which would effectively double the union’s representation at the Big Three. When the new contracts it won were ratified, which included wage increases of 25 percent or more over four and a half years, several thousand non-

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union workers then contacted UAW about joining the union, according to the New York Times.

However, there have been numerous reports that some automakers are illegally trying to block unionization efforts, according to the letter sent by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois with

26 of their colleagues, all Democrats.

HOSTILE TO WORKERS

“These retaliatory actions are hostile to workers’ rights and must not be repeated if further organizing efforts are made by these companies’ workers,” the letter read.

For example, the letter alleges Volkswagen managers confiscated and destroyed pro-union materials, and Hyundai supervisors unlawfully banned pro-union materials in non-work areas outside of normal working hours.

The National Labor Relations See AUTOMAKERS page 13

Members of the following unions and councils see page 5 for changes in your notices ILLINOIS

• IBEW 309 Retirees • Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council

MISSOURI

• St. Louis Labor Council

2 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Is America on the mend? YES

By PAUL KRUGMAN Almost four years have passed since Covid-19 struck. In America, the pandemic killed well over a million people and left millions more with lingering KRUGMAN health problems. Much of normal life came to a halt, partly because of official lockdowns but largely because fear of infection kept people home.

The big question in the years that followed was whether America would ever fully recover from that shock. In 2023 we got the answer: yes. Our economy and society have, in fact, healed remarkably well. The big remaining question is when, if ever, the public will be ready to accept the good news.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS In the short run, of course, the pandemic had severe economic and social effects, in many ways wider and deeper than almost anyone expected. Employment fell by 25 million in a matter of weeks. Huge government aid limited families’ financial hardship, but maintaining Americans’ purchasing power in the face of a disrupted economy meant that demand often exceeded supply, and the result was overstretched supply chains and a burst of inflation.

At the same time, the pandemic reduced social interactions and left many people feeling isolated. The psychological toll is hard to measure, but the weakening of social ties contributed to a range of negative trends, including a surge in violent crime.

It was easy to imagine that the pandemic experience would leave long-term scars — that long Covid and early retirements would leave us with a permanently reduced labor force, that getting inflation down would require years of high unemployment, that the crime surge heralded a sustained breakdown in public order.

But none of that happened.

GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS, BUT WHO BELIEVES IT? You may have heard about the good economic news. Labor force participation — the share of adults in today’s work force — is actually slightly higher than the Congressional Budget Office predicted before the pandemic. Measures of underlying inflation have fallen more or less back to the Federal Reserve’s two percent target even though unemployment is near a 50-year low. Adjusted for inflation, most workers’ wages have gone up.

For some reason I’ve heard less about the crime news, but it’s also remarkably good. F.B.I. data shows that violent crime has subsided: It’s already back to 2019 levels and appears to be falling further. Homicides probably aren’t quite back to 2019 levels, but they’re plummeting.

None of this undoes the Covid death toll or the serious learning loss suffered by millions of students. But overall both our economy and our society are in far better shape at this point than most people would have predicted

in the early days of the pandemic — or than most Americans are willing to admit.

For if America’s resilience in the face of the pandemic shock has been remarkable, so has the pessimism of the public.

The ‘Year of Labor’ in 2023 was just the beginning

CONSUMER SPENDING UP

By LIZ SHULER President AFL-CIO

When Alicia Weaver, a By now, anyone who writes about the ecoguest room attendant at the nomic situation has become accustomed to mail MGM Grand Detroit, went on and social media posts (which often begin, “You strike last year with UNITE moron”) insisting that the official statistics on SHULER HERE, she didn’t know how low unemployment and inflation are misleadlong she would be on the picket line. ing if not outright lies. No, the Consumer Price All she knew was she and her coIndex doesn’t ignore food and energy, although workers deserved more: Better wages, some analytical measures do; no, after 24 years on the job; decent grocery prices aren’t still soaring. health care, so she didn’t have to Rather than get into more Guest choose between a doctor’s visit arguments with people desperand paying rent; a chance to grow ate to find some justification for professionally and have a future negative economic sentiment, I find it most useful to point out Views from Near and Far at the company — something that hit home for Alicia as she looked that whatever American consumers say down the strike line and saw her own son, about the state of the economy, they are also an MGM Grand Detroit employee. spending as if their finances are in pretty After 47 days on the picket line in the good shape. Most recently, holiday sales apDetroit winter — in rain and freezing tempear to have been quite good. peratures — Alicia and her co-workers won CRIME DOWN historic raises, benefits, job security and What about crime? This is an area in which opportunities to grow their careers. public perceptions have long been notoriMOST DYNAMIC AND ously at odds with reality, with people telling SUCCESSFUL YEAR pollsters that crime is rising even when it’s When people ask me why the Labor Movefalling rapidly. Right now, according to Galment just had its most dynamic and successlup, 63 percent of Americans say that crime is ful year in a generation, I tell them about an “extremely” or a “very” serious problem workers like Alicia — people whose lives for the United States — but only 17 percent changed because they stood together with say it’s that severe a problem where they live. their co-workers. For all the talk about macro And Americans aren’t acting as if they’re trends and economic factors, the driving force terrified about crime. As I’ve written before, behind the “Year of Labor” was simple: Being major downtowns have seen weekend foot in a union makes your life better. traffic — roughly speaking, the number of We’re in a moment of profound uncertainty people visiting the city for fun rather than and disillusionment across this country. work — recover to prepandemic levels, which Americans are fed up with politicians, instituisn’t what you’d expect if Americans were tions and the status quo. Approval ratings for fleeing violent urban hellscapes.

Congress and most major institutions have WILL GRIM NARRATIVES PREVAIL? plummeted to well below 50 percent. The So whatever Americans may say to pollLabor Movement is the one exception. Pollsters, they’re behaving as if they live in a ing shows 71 percent of Americans believe in prosperous, fairly safe (by historical stanunions — more than two-thirds of people in dards) country — the country portrayed by this country, the highest number in the past 60 official statistics, although not by opinion years. Unions are where people seem to have polls. (Disclaimer: Yes, we have vast inequalincreasingly placed their hopes, their dreams ity and social injustice. But this is no more and their aspirations for a better future. true now than it was in earlier years, when WORKER WINS Americans were far more optimistic.)

It’s not hard to see why. Look around at the The big question, of course, is whether wins workers have earned, together, and the grim narratives will prevail over relatively real change it makes in their lives and their sunny reality in the 2024 election. There are families’ futures: hints in survey data that the good economic • United Auto Workers (UAW), which won 25 news is starting to break through, but I don’t percent pay raises for employees’ new conknow of any comparable hints on crime. tracts with the Big 3 automakers.

In any case, what you need to know is that • The Teamsters, who took on UPS and America responded remarkably well to the won historic safety protections and wage economic and social challenges of a deadly increases. pandemic. By most measures, we’re a nation • The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFon the mend. Let’s hope we don’t lose our TRA, who stood up to the Hollywood studios democracy before people realize that.

(Paul Krugman is a New York Times opinion and won protections against artificial intelcolumnist and a distinguished professor at the ligence (AI) that provide security and peace City University of New York Graduate Center. He of mind. won the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Some 900,000 union members secured Sciences for his work on international trade and double-digit wage increases this year in their economic geography. You can follow him on new contracts. That’s the power of solidarity.

Twitter at . Reprinted from the New York Times.)

Opinions

People also look at the Labor Movement and see that it increasingly looks like them. We’re bringing together people of every background — White, Black, Brown, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Indigenous; young and old; white collar and blue collar — to take on the absurd economic inequality. We are working in common cause, and we are winning.

So, where do we go in 2024? The AFL-CIO (where I serve as president) represents 60 unions and 12.5 million workers across this country, and our goal is simple: To make sure every working person has a good job that pays a living wage. A job where they are treated with dignity and respect. A job where they are free to come together and organize with their co-workers when things aren’t right. For decades, whenever workers have tried to improve their lives in this country, they’ve run into roadblocks.

Right now, we need to make sure every road leads to a union.

ORGANIZING NEW SECTORS We’re doing that by organizing the new sectors of the economy. All over the South, billions of dollars from President Biden’s historic infrastructure packages are being invested in clean energy projects, many driven by companies like Blue Bird, an electric bus manufacturer, whose workers organized with the United Steelworkers (USW) — and we’ll do the same thing across the South and the whole country, setting a standard that every job created by these investments is a good, high-wage, union job.

We’re making sure voices like Alicia’s and other workers are heard on the issues of the future, especially AI and automation — and as we just showed with Microsoft, we’re not afraid of unconventional partnerships to get workers at the table.

TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS We’re focused on training and apprenticeship programs, too, especially in the construction trades, where there is incredible opportunity for upward mobility — but, for far too long, women and workers of color have been left out. For any company that wants to add high-skilled, highly trained workers to its operation, they can access the best pipeline of talented workers they’ve ever had. We’ll work together to maximize the opportunities for workers and companies.

More and more, Americans also are recognizing unions as a trusted source in a time of political upheaval. In 2023, we proved what can happen when working people come together in critical local and state races that affect our lives.

And in 2024, we’re going to lead the largest mobilization of working people the country has ever seen — tens of millions of workers coming together to protect our democracy and elect candidates who understand our challenges and our lives.

See YEAR OF LABOR page 7

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 3

Laborers Local 42 donates $500 to Missouri Jobs with Justice

IBEW Local 1439 welcomes three new members

ST. LOUIS – IBEW Local 1439 recently welcomed three new members to its union family. Here, Local 1439 President Chad Fletcher (left) swears in (from left) new members Kevin Cantrell, Bryan Head and Rob Craft.

– IBEW Local 1439 photo

5 Fight

$ St. Louis – Laborers Local 42 recently made a $500 donation to Missouri Jobs with Justice (JwJ) to aid in its mission. JwJ works tirelessly to protect working people’s rights in the workplace and make sure Missouri is a place where good jobs are safe and plentiful for all. Local 42 Sargent-at-Arm Raymond Sarkis (left) and Local 42 Recording Secretary Brian Watson (right) presented the donation to (center) JwJ Policy Director Richard von Glahn.

– Laborers Local 42 photo

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4 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

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Contractor organizes huge raffle to help two Laborers seriously injured on the job Prizes include multiple game tickets, gift cards, sporting goods

PUBLISHED WEEKLY (EVERY THURSDAY) Under the auspices of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council and the Central Labor Councils in Southern Illinois and the Unions of the Greater St. Louis and Southern Illinois areas.

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Office: 301 S. Ewing, St. Louis, Mo. 63103 Office/News Department: Telephone (314) 535-9660 • FAX (314) 531-6131 Web Site: www.labortribune.com News Deadline: Noon Friday for the next week’s issue. E-Mail: tim@labortribune.com Advertising Deadline: 10 a.m. Wednesday for the next week’s issue. E-Mail: sales@labortribune.com Classified Advertising: 12 noon Friday for the next week’s issue.

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LABOR TRIBUNE STAFF

Tim Rowden Editor-in-Chief (314) 256-4138 tim@labortribune.com

Sheri Gassaway Assistant Editor sheri@labortribune.com

Elizabeth Donald Illinois Correspondent

St. Louis County – Pace Construction, along with parent company Lionmark Construction Companies, has organized a huge prize raffle to benefit two Missouri Laborers who were injured after being hit by a car while on the job.

“The contractor has organized this raffle, and we are helping spread the word throughout the membership and the public to assist the workers,” said Brandon Flinn, business manager of the Missouri Kansas Laborers District Council.

“They each received multiple fractures and have gone through several surgeries and will have a long road to recovery.”

The Nov. 6 accident happened near New Halls Ferry Road and Interstate 270 when a Florissant man allegedly drove through a closed construction zone at 10:30 p.m., struck three Laborers and fled the scene. The driver was caught shortly afterward and charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in physical injury.

Two of the workers are members of Laborers Local 110: Sean Degonia, 22, and Zachery Beaver, 38. The

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third worker, Josh Whitworth, 35, is a member of Laborers Local 840 in Rolla. Degonia received moderate injuries and was treated and released from the hospital. Beaver and Whitworth both suffered fractured pelvises, among other serious injuries.

31 PRIZES The raffle includes 31 prizes, including multiple tickets to St. Louis Cardinals and Blues games, $50-to-$500 gift cards, sporting goods, overnight stays and even meat packages – all donated by local contractors, unions, Labor allies and businesses.

Some of the prizes include: • $500 gift card to Bass Pro Shop.

• $500 gift card to Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

• $200 spa gift card.

• Two $50 gift cards to Bass Pro Shop (Donated by Roland Machinery).

• Sporting goods.

• Callaway Maverick Driver (Donated

by Conoco-Phillips).

• PXG 0811X Driver (Donated by Conoco-Phillips).

• Golf bag (Donated by ConocoPhillips).

• Telescopic spinning fishing rod/ reel combo and Evolution backpack tackle box (Donated by ConocoPhillips).

• YETI Hopper Flip soft cooler (Donated by Van Keppel).

• Vortex Diamondback 10 x 42 binoculars (Donated by Van Keppel).

• Powerflight Electronic Duck Decoy (Donated by Van Keppel).

• Half-cow raised by Korman Brothers.

• Half-hog raised by Groner Farms.

TICKETS Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased by Venmo at @Lionmark_Charity. Be sure to include your name and phone number in the description. To pay by check, make checks payable to Lionmark Charity Account and reference Zack/ Josh benefit on the memo line. Mail checks to Lionmark Construction Companies, 1620 Woodson Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63114.

The drawing will be held March 1. For more information, email nledbetter@lionmark.com.

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Subscribing Unions: Awning Tent & Decorators Local 39 • Boilermakers Local 27 • Boilermakers Local 363 • Bricklayers Local 1 • Cement Masons Local 527 • Elevator Constructors Local 3 • Glaziers’ Local 513 • Hoisting Engineers Local 513 • IBEW Local 1 • IBEW Local 309 • IBEW Local 649 • Insulators and Asbestos Workers 1 • Iron Workers Local 396 • Iron Workers Local 392• Laborers’ Local 42 • Laborers Local 110 • Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Division 48 • Machinists’ District 9 • Machinists’ Lodge 41 • Machinists’ Lodge 313 • Machinists’ Lodge 660 • Machinists’ Lodge 688 • Machinists’ Lodge 777 • Machinists’ Lodge 822 • Machinists’ Lodge 1345 • Machinists’ Lodge 1745 • Machinists’ Lodge 1815 • Machinists’ Lodge 2782 • Mailers Local 3 • Meat Cutters Local 88 • Newspaper Guild/CWA Local 36047 • Operating Engineers Local 399 • Painters’ District Council #2 • Plumbers & Fitters Local 101 • Plumbers & Gas Fitters Local 360 • Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 160 • Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 • Plumbers Local 553 • Roofers Local 2 • Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 • Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 • Sprinkler Fitters & Apprentices Local 268 • St. Louis Theatrical Local 6 • Steamfitters Local 439 • UFCW Local 655 • United Steelworkers Local 9014 • USW Steelworkers 1899 • Utility Workers of America Local 335 Member: International Labor Communications Association Midwest Labor Press Association Illinois State Labor Press Association Periodicals Postage Paid at St. Louis, Missouri 63155 Postmaster: Send change of address to St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune 301 S. Ewing, St. Louis, Mo. 63103

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 5 Wilson. Palmer believed Communism was “eating its way into the homes of the American workman,” and Socialists were causing most of the country’s social problems.

This Week In

Labor History ficials expelled 400 miners and their families from the area.

1946 – Some 174,000 members of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) union struck General Electric and Westinghouse after the power companies, with record-setting profits, offered just a half-cent per hour increase. After nine weeks, the strike was settled with an 18.5 cents hourly wage improvement.

The Great Molasses Flood, 1919

1919 – Seventeen workers in the area die when a large molasses storage tank in Boston’s North End neighborhood bursts, sending a 40-foot wave of molasses surging through the streets at an estimated 35 miles per hour. In all, 21 people died and 150 were injured.

1938 – The CIO miners’ union in the Grass Valley area of California strikes for higher wages, union recognition and the eight-hour day. The strike was defeated when vigilantes and law enforcement of-

JANUARY 16

1920 – Thousands of Palmer Raids detainees win right to meet with lawyers and attorney representation at deportation hearings. “Palmer” was Alexander Mitchell Palmer, U.S. attorney general under Woodrow

Important Information From Your Union

LOCAL UNIONS Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. at the union hall, 2358 Mascoutah Avenue, Belleville.

IBEW Local 309

Regular union meetings are held on first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Local Union Hall, 2000 Mall Street, Route 157, Collinsville, Ill. Executive Board — Executive board meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs­day preceding each regular union meeting at the IBEW Local 309 Hall, 2000A Mall St., Collins­ville.

Iron Workers 392

Meeting on the first and third Friday of each month, 7 p.m. at the Training Center, 2300 Hampton.

IBEW Local 4

First Friday, 7 p.m. at the Hoisting Engineers Hall, 3449 Hollenberg.

Executive Board meets at 3325 Hollenberg on first Friday at 10 a.m.

Third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 24 East Fer­­­gu­son, Wood River, Ill.

Union meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Knights of Columbus Council 1712, One Columbus Plaza, Collinsville, IL 62234.

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 101

Union Meetings will be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month except December, which will be held on the 3rd Wednesday. The meetings will be held at the Local 101 Hall located at 8 Premier Drive in Belleville, IL 62220 at 7:30 p.m.

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 160

Union meetings are on the second Friday of the month at 8 p.m. at the hall, 901 Mulberry Street, Murphysboro, Ill. 62966.

First Tuesday of each month September through May, 7 p.m., 967 East Airline Dr., East Alton, IL 62024.

Caseyville Meetings: Fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Hall, 2701 N. 89th Street, Casey­ville, Ill. 62232.

Southern counties: Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the training center, 13963 Route 37, Johnston City, Ill.

Steamfitters Local 439

Meets first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. in the Donald Bailey Building, 1220 Donald Bailey Dr., Caseyville, Ill. 62232-2061.

RETIREE CLUBS IBEW Local 309 Retirees

Meets the last Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at 2995 Kingshighway, East St. Louis.

Greater St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO

St. Louis Union Label & Service Trades Council

Sheet Metal Workers Local 268

Boilermakers Local 363

IBEW Local 1 Apprentices

Operators Local 399

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 553

Second Wednesday, 10 a.m. (unless notified) at IBEW Local 702 at 106 N. Monroe St., West Frankfort, Ill.

Sprinkler Fitters and Apprentices Local 268

Union Meetings will be held the First Wednesday and the Third Friday of each Month at the IBEW, Local 1 Union Hall, 5850 Elizabeth Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110. The meeting begins promptly at 5 p.m. Please note: There are no First Wednesday Meetings held during the months of June, July, and August.

First Wednesday, 10 a.m., Electricians’ Industry Training Center Auditorium, 2300 Hampton.

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 360

Egyptian Building and Construction Trades Council

IBEW Local 1

5850 Elizabeth Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

Greater Madison County Federation of Labor

DELEGATES meet the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., at Steamfitters Local 439 hall, 1220 Donald Bailey Drive, Caseyville, Ill. BOARD OF BUSINESS AGENTS meets the second Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at IBEW Local 309 Hall.

Office Address: 2A Meadow Heights, Professional Park Collinsville, Ill. 62234.

MISSOURI CENTRAL BODIES

SPECIAL NOTICE: There will be no meetings in January and February.

INJURED ON THE JOB? Call 314-884-7502 | nmogab@chgolaw.com

NANCY R. MOGAB • Workers’ Comp – on the job injuries

• All Motor Vehicle and Truck accidents

• Social Security and Disabliity Claims & Appeals • Veterans Disablility Claims & Appeals

130 S. Bemiston | Clayton, MO 63105

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O v e r 4 0 Ye a r s o f E x p e r i e n c e

Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 1

Third Monday at 6 p.m., Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, 2319 Chouteau. Craig Darrah, president.

Ironworkers Local 396

Union meetings on the last Friday of each month at 8 p.m. at the Union Hall, 2500 59th St., St. Louis, MO 63110.

LOCAL UNIONS

Laborers Local 110

4532 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63127. Meetings are the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m.

Boilermakers Local 27

The monthly membership meetings are at 8 p.m. the first Monday at the Boilermakers Hall, 1547 S. Broadway.

Applications for Construction Boilermakers Apprentice will be accepted by the Boilermakers Joint Apprenticeship Committee on the second Monday of each month at the Local 27 hall, 1547 South Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

The recruitment, selection, employment and training of apprentices during their apprenticeship shall be without discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, age or sex. Every applicant must supply a copy of their BIRTH CERTIFICATE and High School DIPLOMA/G.E.D. that the Committee can keep at the time of filing application for apprenticeship.

WELDING QUALIFICATION: Applicants that have a welding certification or welding training qualifications will have priority selection over applicants with no welding qualifications. Applicants must provide a copy and proof of welding certification or welding training qualifications at the time of application.

Painters District Council 58 Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562

Second Wednesday of each month, 6 p.m. at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Training Center, 3755 Corporate Trail Dr., Earth City, MO 63045.

Roofers Local 2

The regular meetings of Roofers’ Local 2 are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Roofers’ Hall, 45 Worthington Access Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.

The Executive Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before the regular monthly meeting.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Local 2 members are to vote on the allocation of money for raises effective March 1, 2024. The vote will be held at the Union Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 at 7 p.m. at 45 Worthington Access Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.

Bricklayers Local 1

Sheet Metal Workers Local 36

Meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Thursday at Bricklayers’ Local No. 1 Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026.

To register for a course, contact Dale Jennewein at the Bricklayers Local 1 MO JATC at 314-770-1066.

St. Louis Area Regular Monthly Meeting: Fourth Tuesday of each month, 6 p.m., Grand Hall, 2319 Chouteau Avenue, 63103 St. Louis Area Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee Meeting: Third Monday of each month, 5 p.m., Grand Hall, 2319 Chouteau Avenue, 63103 South East MO Area Monthly Informational Meeting: Last Thursday of each month, 7 p.m., Communication Workers Hall, 1131 N. Kingshighway, Suite 2C, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 Central MO Area Monthly Informational Meeting: Last Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., Labor Temple, 209 Flora Ave, Jefferson City 65101.

Cement Masons Local 527

3341 Hollenberg Dr, Bridgeton, MO 63044

JANUARY 21 1946 – Some 750,000 steel workers walk out in 30 states, largest strike in U.S. history to that time.

1974 – Postal workers begin four-day strike at the Jersey City, N.J., bulk and foreign mail center, protesting an involuntary shift change. The wildcat was led by a group of young workers who identified themselves as “The Outlaws.”

2000 – Six hundred police attack picketing longshoremen in Charleston, S.C.

(Compiled by David Prosten, founder Union Communication Services)

St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council

Painters District Council 58

Southwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council

1909 – U.S. Supreme Court rules in Moyer v. Peabody that a governor and officers of a state National Guard may imprison anyone — in the case at hand, striking miners in Colorado — without probable cause “in a time of insurrection” and deny the person the right of appeal.

1978 – “Take This Job and Shove It,” by Johnny Paycheck, is listed

the New York Yankees making him the highest paid player in baseball: $75,000 for the entire 1961 season. It should be noted that because there were no long-term contracts, salaries fluctuated every year.

1986 – Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown,” a eulogy for dying industrial cities, is the country’s most listened-to song. The lyrics, in part: “Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores... Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more... They’re closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks... Foreman says these jobs are going boys, and they ain’t coming back to your hometown...”

1909 – Chicago Crib Disaster — A fire breaks out during construction of a water tunnel for the city of Chicago, burning the wooden dormitory housing the tunnel workers.

While 46 survive the fire by jumping into the frigid lake and climbing onto ice floes, approximately 60 men die, 29 were burned beyond recognition and the others drowned.

1961 – Hardworking Mickey Mantle signs a new contract with

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Friday of the month at the IUOE Local 520 Hall, 520 Engineer Rd., Granite City, IL 62040.

Third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Laborers’ Local 459 Hall, 100 N. 17th St., Belle­ville, Ill. Fourth Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Machinists Center, 161 N. Shamrock, East Alton.

JANUARY 20

Third Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., IBEW Local 1 Hall, 5850 Elizabeth Ave., St. Louis.

Operating Engineers 520

Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council

1915 – Radical Labor organizer and anarchist Lucy Parsons leads hunger march in Chicago; IWW songwriter Ralph Chaplin wrote “Solidarity Forever” for the march.

1962 – President John F. Kennedy signs Executive Order 10988, guaranteeing federal workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively.

JANUARY 18

Notices

ILLINOIS CENTRAL BODIES

JANUARY 19 1915 – Twenty strikers at the American Agricultural Chemical Co. in Roosevelt, N.J., were shot, two fatally, by factory guards. They and other strikers had stopped an incoming train in search of scabs when the guards opened fire.

1920 – Some 3,000 members of the Filipino Federation of Labor strike the plantations of Oahu, Hawaii.

Their ranks swell to 8,300 as they are joined by members of the Japanese Federation of Labor.

1986 – Bruce Springsteen makes an unannounced appearance at a benefit for laid-off 3M workers, Asbury Park, N.J.

JANUARY 17

www.unionist.com JANUARY 15

by Billboard magazine as the most popular song in the U.S.

Regular meetings at 5 p.m. second Thursday of month at the Union Hall, 1544 S. Third St., St. Louis, MO 63104.

St. Louis Theatrical Brotherhood Local 6 I.A.T.S.E.

Regular monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at 1611 S. Broadway.

Teamsters Joint Council 13 Teamsters Local 688

4349 Woodson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63134

Tile-Marble Setters & Finishers, Mosaic & Terrazzo Workers & Finishers Local 18 MO

Meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at ADC Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026.

United Food & Commercial Workers Local 655

Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. — Monday through Friday.

Closed Saturdays and Sundays. 300 Weidman Rd., Ballwin, MO. Retirees’ Club: The UFCW Local 655 Retirees’ Club meets at the Local 655 Union Hall, 300 Weidman Rd., Ballwin, on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m.

Regular Quarterly Business Meetings of the Local: Effective January 1, 2020, The Regular Quarterly Business Meetings of UFCW Local 655 will be on the third Monday of February, May, August, and November at 7 p.m. The meetings are held at the Local 655 Union Hall. You can also view a live stream of our Quarterly Membership Meetings on our Facebook page, www. facebook.com/UFCW655.

UFCW Meat, Deli & Seafood Local 88

Office: 5730 Elizabeth Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. Phone: (314) 644-6328.

United Media Guild Local 36047

Executive board meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday at the TNG-CWA Local 36047 office, Room 1040 at 1015 Locust St., St. Louis.

Utility Workers Local 335

74 Woodstream, Moscow Mills, MO 63362

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6 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

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DOL rule would promote apprenticeships, tighten program Labor standards Apprenticeships have received much attention of late as a way to funnel badly needed talent into key industries The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a rule Dec. 14 that seeks to modernize the registered apprenticeship program. The rule intends to strengthen Labor standards and worker protections as well as better promote apprenticeship pathways, among other things.

The rule also includes a program called the “registered career and technical education apprenticeship” that is designed to make it “more seamless” for full-time high school and community college students to enroll in the apprenticeship system.

EQUITY, JOB QUALITY “Equity and job quality have marked the most successful Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs for workers and employers alike. This proposed rule codifies the Department of Labor’s strong commitment to these principles,” Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement. “Importantly, the proposed changes will also provide strong worker protections, improved employer experiences and greater clarity about the roles of federal and state governments and their partners in the National Apprenticeship System.”

A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR proposed rule aims to strengthen Labor standards and worker protections as well as better promote apprenticeship pathways.

Apprenticeships have received much attention of late as a way to funnel badly needed talent into key industries.

PROPOSED INVESTMENTS The Biden administration has pointedly proposed investments in sectoral training and apprenticeship as part of its wider jobs platform; part of the fiscal year 2024 budget proposal from President Joe Biden included $335 million for the RA program to build pathways to in-need industries, such as construction, clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing.

The Senate has also proposed

bills aimed at modernizing RAs, focusing on expanding the programs to similar industries as well as improving “wrap-around” services, such as childcare and eldercare.

But apprenticeships still remain outside the mainstream in the U.S. market, a Multiverse and Burning Glass Institute report said, despite the high potential that could be unlocked through investment in such programs. If the U.S. followed the U.K.’s “mature apprenticeship” system, over 830,000 new apprenticeship opportunities could launch each year, leading to $28.5 billion in wage increases, the report said.

(Reprinted from Construction Dive)

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ASK THE BANKER Navigating the Christmas Hangover: A Practical Guide to Post-Holiday Finances As the holiday decorations are packed away, and the festive cheer begins to settle, January brings with it a less joyful companion—the post-Christmas financial hangover. For many of us, the joy of giving to our loved ones can sometimes leave a lingering headache in the form of credit card bills.

into topics that hit close to home, addressing personal finance issues that can have a significant impact on each of our lives.

We’ll explore strategies to break free from high-interest debt, discuss the ins and outs of budgeting for a down payment on a home, decode the mysteries of credit scores and even share tips on how to optimize your savings to meet your goals and guide you through the steps to build a credit score that opens doors rather than closes them.

WES BURNS

Executive Vice President of Community and Economic Development Midwest BankCentre

I understand this struggle all too well, having grown up in Bunker Missouri, a community of caring and generous neighbors, but also one of the most poverty-stricken regions within the state. My father was a laborer in the lead industry, a farmer and a respected member of clergy. My mother was a banker, a homemaker and was very active in the church. I was fortunate, as they instilled in me a strong work ethic and a genuine care for others. These traits propelled me to my current role as the head of community and economic development at Midwest BankCentre.

My purpose is clear—to give more people a shot at winning, just as I was given. Throughout 2024 I’ll have a monthly column in the Labor Tribune, and my commitment is to delve

I think most of us can recognize that the holiday season is a time of joy, but it can also lead to unexpected financial stress.

It’s easy to get carried away, especially when it comes to spoiling our kids and grandkids. But now, as the bills start rolling in, it’s time to face the reality of post-holiday debt.

1. Reflect and Assess: Before diving into the numbers, take a moment to reflect on your holiday spending. Did the joy of giving lead to overspending? Understanding where your money went is the first step to regaining control.

2. Create a Realistic Repayment Plan: Assess your finances and create a practical repayment plan. Break down your debt into manageable chunks and set realistic goals. Remember, it’s not about how quickly you pay it off, but about doing so in a way that won’t leave you financially strapped.

3. Prioritize High-Interest Debt: If you have multiple debts, focus on those with the highest interest rates first. Tackling these will save you money in the long run and provide a sense of accomplishment.

4. Negotiate with Creditors: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your creditors. Many are willing to work with you to establish a manageable repayment plan. Communication is key, and they may offer temporary relief or lower interest rates.

5. Cut Unnecessary Expenses: Temporarily tighten your budget by cutting unnecessary expenses. It might mean cancelling a streaming service or more pasta nights at home. Small sacrifices can make a big difference in the long-run.

6. Build a Buffer for Next Year: Learn from this experience.

Consider setting aside a small amount each month throughout the year for holiday expenses. Many Banks, like ours, have a Christmas Club to help with budgeting. Having a budget in place can prevent the January financial hangover.

At Midwest BankCentre, we understand that life happens, and financial challenges can arise unexpectedly. That’s why we offer the Life Happens® product suite, a comprehensive set of solutions designed for life’s ups and downs. From payday alternative loans and emergency loans to life happens checking and secured credit cards, our services are crafted to provide practical assistance, especially during challenging times.

Our mission at Midwest BankCentre is to help our regional communities thrive and to empower individuals to live a financially secure life, giving more people a shot at winning. My colleagues and I appreciate the opportunity to earn your business and can be reached at 314.631.5500 or visit us online at www. midwestbankcentre.com.

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 7

Laborers bring holiday cheer to hundreds of veterans across region Much of the Christmas cheer for our distinguished military veterans this past holiday season was the result of St. Louis Laborers unions donating to the annual Trees For Vets program, sponsored by The Kaufman Fund, a non-profit that helps veterans in need with life’s basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.

The Missouri/Kansas Laborers District Council, one of the Tree program’s major sponsors – along with Laborers Locals 42, 110 and 660 and the Missouri Laborers Employees and Education Trust – donated $10,000 for the December program. Over the past 10 years, The Kaufman Fund has given more than 2,500 trees to veterans to ensure they have a joyful holiday season.

“Our locals and members are proud to be able to step up for a great cause that all of us can be proud of,” said Local 42 Vice President

LENDING A HELPING HAND to distribute more than 300 Christmas trees to veterans in early December as part of the Kaufman Fund’s Trees for Vets annual effort were Local 42 members (from left) Union Representative Simon Glaus, Local 42 Veterans Committee members Darryle Boyle and Frank Lewis, Kaufman Fund volunteer Al Finkelstein and Local 42 Vice President and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Matt Andrews. Laborers Locals 42, 110 and 660 and the Missouri Laborers Employees and Education Trust together donated $10,000 for the effort. – Kaufman Fund photo

Matt Andrews, chairman of Local 42’s Veterans Committee, who is a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran and member of the Laborers Midwest Region Vets Steering Committee.

“And certainly no one deserves it more than our veterans. It’s one of the many charitable efforts our locals proudly support.”

Local 42 member and veteran Zachery Hurt was recognized along

Read the Labor Tribune at work, at home or on the go

Year of Labor From pg. 2 EMPOWERING YOUNG WORKERS And we’re further empowering young workers in this movement.

Nine out of 10 Americans younger than 30 believe in unions right now. Just look at the phenomenal organizing at Starbucks, a retail chain where no one ever thought workers could win. Yet, 366 stores and counting have voted to unionize. The average age of a Starbucks barista is 24. And those young people, and many others across all kinds of industries, believe in a better future. It’s up to us to turn that belief into reality.

The Labor Movement is ready to welcome in more hard-working Americans: For those who aren’t sure what a union even is, we’ll walk you through it. For those who want to join a union, we’ll make sure you have that chance.

For those who want to build a new union of their own — one that may look nothing like what they see in the world — we couldn’t be more excited to support you.

Working people are on the rise.

For any worker in this country who is disillusioned, frustrated or searching for a better life, I invite you to join a union. Together, we’re growing our power and building better lives and a stronger America for generations to come.

with veterans from other organizations for their service.

SANTA VISITED As vets came to collect their trees in December, Santa Claus was on hand to provide the veterans’ children with backpacks full of school supplies, children’s toys and food.

In addition, each vet received a $50 On the Run gas card from the Wal-

HONORED as a representative for veterans is Local 42 member and veteran Zachery Hurt (second from left) with Local 42 Vice President and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Matt Andrews (left) and The Kaufman Fund volunteer Al Finkelstein. The sign recognizes the many groups who help finance the Fund. – Kaufman Fund photo

lis Companies and a $25 food gift certificate for a Butterball turkey or other food needs, making it a truly joyful event. A number of local companies were also on hand to provide goodie bags that contained a host of products and information on other services available for vets.

The Kaufman Fund honors Air Force veteran Ralph Kaufman, and was founded in 1990 by his brother Wayne Kaufman, an Army veteran.

The Labor Tribune is your source for news important to working people at work everywhere.

In addition to the print edition, which is mailed to subscribing unions and union members’ homes every Thursday, highlights from the previous week’s edition are available at labortribune.com.

The Fund also provides any veteran with food and referrals for legal, dental, mental health and chiropractic services not covered under Veterans Administration (VA) programs. The Fund also provides winter coats, hats and gloves and makes grants to other veteran organizations for special needs.

For more information about The Kaufman Fund go to www.TheKaufmanFund.org.

For breaking news, recommended articles and important connections, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. To subscribe, visit us at labortribune.com and click the “Subscribe” link in the menu at the top of the homepage.

8 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Fundraiser set up for Rock Community fire fighter who died unexpectedly Members of Fire Fighters Local 2665 and the Rock Community Fire Protection District are mourning the loss of one of their own and have started a fundraiser to help the longtime fire fighter’s family.

Captain Alan “Al” McClain passed away unexpectedly Jan. 2 at age 49. He was a third-generation fire fighter at Rock MCCLAIN Community and leaves behind a wife and five kids.

He was a member of the Rock Community Fire family for almost 32 years, starting as a volunteer in 1992 and becoming a full-time fire fighter and EMT in 1998.

“Unfortunately his death did not qualify for line of duty, so the family will not receive the federal death benefit or BackStoppers assistance,” said Paul Vessels, Local 2665 Fifth District vice president. “The Rock Community shop has started

Chief Al “Alfie” LaPointe died in March 2023, and fire fighter Robert “Scotty” Broombaugh died in October 2023.

DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY

a fundraiser to help with this financial burden for the family.”

Vessels urged donations of any amount to help Brother McClain’s grieving family with funeral expenses, insurance coverage, bills, mortgage payments and other expenses.

A funeral service was held for Brother McClain Jan. 8 at Immaculate Conception Church in Arnold.

He is the third member of the Rock Community Fire Protection District to die over the past year. Battalion

Brother McClain’s wife Nicole told The Leader newspaper that her husband became a fire fighter because he was dedicated to serving his community.

“And the man just loved to fight fire,” she said in the article. “He was born to do it. Being a fire fighter kept him connected to the community, and I know he loved that.

He didn’t boast about it, but I know he loved it.”

DONATE You can donate to the fundraiser via Venmo @Nikki-LearMcClain or you can write a check payable to Rock Community Professional Fire Fighters and mail it to 3749 Telegraph Road, Arnold, Mo. 63010.

New Machinist president Bryant: Workers should ‘call the shots’ Upper Marlboro, MD (PAI) — Saying it is time for workers “to call the shots” in the modern U.S. economy, Brian Bryant became the new International Association of Machinists (IAM) president on Jan. 5.

Bryant, who hails from Maine’s Lodge 56 at the Bath Iron Works shipyard, where he started as a pipefitter, succeeds Bob Martinez, who retired. Before beBRYANT coming president, Bryant, a 34-year Machinist, held three executive council positions.

“It is time to not just improve the state of working people, but to fundamentally transform the way working people live. We demand not just a seat at the table, but a chance to call the shots,” Bryant declared in his inaugural address.

Before Bryant and the new executive council can tackle the economic problems of the future facing workers as a whole, they looking to the union’s future. For more than a year, Martinez and other officers toured the country, talking to individual members about what they expect out of IAM. The result is a report by the IAM Committee on the Future. The report has been sent to the council, but not released publicly. “We know the world is changing, and that our union must not simply change with it, but lead that change,” Bryant said.

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 9

Department of Labor announces final rule to combat misclassification of independent contractors WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule to help employers and workers better understand when a worker qualifies as an employee and when they may be considered an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rule provides guidance on proper classification and seeks to combat employee misclassification, a serious problem that impacts workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime pay, facilitates wage theft, allows some employers to undercut their law-abiding competition and hurts the economy at-large.

“Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a serious issue that deprives workers of basic rights and protecSU tions,” explained Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “This rule will help protect workers, especially those facing the greatest risk of exploitation, by making sure they are classified properly and that they receive the wages they’ve earned.”

ticularly those in the lowest-wage and most difficult jobs, such as nail salon workers, truck drivers, and construction workers.”

COMBATS WAGE THEFT

ington, D.C. that conducts economic research and analyzes the economic impact of policies and proposals, welcomed the new rule to combat employer misclassification of workers as independent contractors and ensure more workers can enjoy the rights and protections they are already legally entitled to.

“Employer misclassification of

workers as independent contractors robs workers of Labor rights and threatens their economic security,” EPI President Heidi Shierholz noted. SHIERHOLZ “Many workers are harmed by employer misclassification — par-

Brent Booker, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), applauded the final rule as helping combat wage theft and better protect construction workers by restoring the multi-factor test used to properly identify a worker’s status.

“The misclassification of workers allows irresponsible contractors to evade their legal and financial obligations to workers BOOKER and is a particular problem in the construction industry,” he said. “This rule will help in the enforcement and identification of bad actors.”

MULTIFACTOR ANALYSIS The new independent contractor rule restores the multifactor

analysis used by courts for decades, ensuring that all relevant factors are analyzed to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. The rule addresses six factors that guide the analysis of a worker’s relationship with an employer, including: • Any opportunity for profit or loss a worker might have.

• The financial stake and nature of any resources a worker has invested in the work.

• The degree of permanence of the work relationship.

• The degree of control an employer has over the person’s work.

• Whether the work the person does is essential to the employer’s business.

• A factor regarding the worker’s skill and initiative.

The rule separately rescinds the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule which the department believes is not consistent with the law and longstanding judicial precedent.

The final rule takes effect on March 11, 2024.

PROTECTS WORKER RIGHTS The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a think tank based in Wash-

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10 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Teamsters win at Norfolk, Va., ‘big box’ Costco store Norfolk, VA (PAI) — By a 119-82 margin, the Teamsters won a union recognition vote at a Costco store in Norfolk, Va. The victory was notable for two reasons: It’s the union’s first triumph at a Costco in almost 20 years, and the company, which has a reputation for treating its workers well, was disappointed in the outcome, and said so in an open letter after the vote.

The vote for unionizing among the 238 workers “constitutes a failure on our part,” Costco’s CEO, and his predecessor, admitted. Unlike other big box retailers, Costco is known for good wages and working conditions.

But, in Norfolk, not good enough to prevent the vote for Teamsters Local 822. One big factor: The national agreement the Teamsters reached last year covering the

firm’s other 18,000 workers they represent.

The Norfolk workers felt their pay and working conditions there did not reflect the post-coronavirus pandemic successes at the store, Harvard’s OnLabor blog reported.

Higher wages, safety, pension contributions and a more flexible attendance policy were key issues in the organizing drive.

State settles with Illinois contractor over unlawfully deducted wages Springfield, IL – The state of Illinois has settled with a contractor over more than $76,000 in unlawfully deducted wages.

In 2021, Castle Concrete Construction began making unauthorized deductions from workers’ paychecks, and also failed to pay one of its employees for the time he spent driving the company truck to and from job sites and working in Castle’s facility.

Upon investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Workplace Rights Bureau, Castle signed an assurance of voluntary compliance that will ensure workers receive all the money illegally deducted from their wages with additional damages, and the company driver will be paid for his uncompensated time.

“Any company doing business in our state must follow the laws that require workers to be compensated for the hours they work without unauthorized pay deductions,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame

Raoul. “I am committed to enforcing laws that protect Illinois workers and support law-abiding businesses.”

Castle Concrete RAOUL is based in Pana, Ill., southeast of Springfield. Assistant Attorney General Jack Cramer and Bureau Chief Alvar Ayala handled the case for Raoul’s office.

Any worker who believes their employer is violating the law is encouraged to call the Workplace Rights Hotline at 844-740-5076 or visit the Workplace Rights Bureau website at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/Rights-of-the-People/ workplace-rights.

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 11

Northview Village From page 1 state of Missouri must be held accountable too.”

Workers rallied outside Health Accounting Services offices to demand their pay for the days they worked prior to the closure and accrued paid time off (PTO).

They were joined by fellow union members, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and Missouri Jobs with Justice.

State Senator Karla May (D-St. Louis), who spoke at a previous rally, said she had reached out to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to try to make sure that employees are paid and that residents’ rights are protected.

NOTHING BUT EXCUSES Lenny Jones, state director and vice president of SEIU Healthcare Missouri said Northview’s owners have delayed paying workers what they’re owed JONES and continue to mistreat workers and former residents.

“Since the sudden closure of Northview Village the night of Dec. 15, the out-of-state owners, Mark Suissa and Eric Rothner have made excuses, avoided responsibility for what they caused and have continued to mistreat their employees and residents,” said Jones. “During this time, community, faith, political and union leaders have stepped into the void to support workers residents and their families. We are here today to call attention to the

owners’ wrongdoing and to demand immediate payment of missing wages and PTO accrual and remittance of the dues and insurance payments that have been taken from workers’ checks over the past five months that this company has kept.

“This company has made excuses week after week why they haven’t paid the final week that workers worked. The employees of 30 to 35 years of seniority had lots of sick time accruals, vacation time, personal time that should have been paid out. They haven’t gotten that money. We have demanded negotiations around severance, which is typical in a layoff situation for those employees, who have many, many years of seniority. They have refused to respond to our demands for severance.”

ting it off. The latest date promised by the company for the workers to get paid was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday on Jan. 15, after Labor Tribune press time.

“That’s unacceptable,” Hawthorne said at the rally. “We want our money. We want it now. They have failed to pay healthcare premiums.

They have failed to pay paid time off.

They have failed to pay the week in which the facility was abruptly shut down. We need our money! This is St. Louis; this is the Show Me state.

Show me our money!”

WARN ACT LAWSUIT Carolyn Hawthorne, a registered nurse at the facility, has filed a class action suit against Northview’s owners on behalf of herself and other employees allegHAWTHORNE ing violation of the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act, which requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide a 60day notice of planned closings and mass layoffs.

In addition to laying off workers without notice, Hawthorne said the company said they planned to pay workers for the week they worked prior to the closure but has kept put-

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12 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Drive

American Union Wages, Union Wheels

St. Louis Auto Show starts today

By KEVIN WEAKS While the weather outside may be frightful, the atmosphere inside America’s Center this weekend will be delightful.

WEAKS Starting today through Sunday is the 2024 St. Louis Auto Show, a must-go-to event for car and truck enthusiasts but a fun adventure for the whole family.

2024 ST. LOUIS AUTO SHOW – Nearly 500 new models plus classic cars will be on the floor to preview at the 2024 St. Louis Auto Show at America’s Center downtown which runs Jan. 18 through Jan. 21.

Held at the America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, the St. Louis Auto Show offers a comprehensive overview of the automotive industry, from classic cars to the newest

electric and hybrid models, as well as a variety of accessories and services.

Race fan, motor head or car shopper, this event has something for everyone. As the largest automobile event in the St. Louis area, the St. Louis Auto Show will feature an enormous selection of new cars,

trucks and SUVs all under one roof where you can preview the latest models — all without the showroom pressure of making a vehicle purchase.

Nearly 500 new models presented by more than 25 manufacturers will be on the floor to preview as well as the newest safety technology. This

family-friendly event will feature the ultimate Free Kids’ Zone, Ride & Drive by Stellantis, pet adoptions, a “Million Dollar Mile” of some of the world’s most expensive vehicles and a tire-smoking exhibition by drifting champions Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa and Travis Reeder.

New to the Auto Show is the “Blood, Sweat & Gears One-Hour Run,” a one-of-a-kind indoor run through the halls of the America’s Center. Competitors will attempt to complete as many loops of the course as possible within an hour.

Not a runner but still want to support? Donations can be made directly to the show’s charity partner, the American Red Cross.

FREE KIDS’ ZONE The St. Louis Auto Show is fun for the whole family. Sponsored by Mid America Chevy Dealers, the Free Kids Zone will feature a Kids’ Test Track and more, including Connect 4/Tic Tac Toe, an inflatable slide, inflatable obstacle course, face painting and a chance to meet Transformers autobot Bumblebee, who will be strolling (rolling?) through the Kids Zone Friday, Saturday and Sunday at select times.

THINKING OF GOING EV?

LEARN ABOUT EVS – If you’re contemplating switching to an electric vehicle like this 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash, stop by the Ameren EV Experience Center where you can learn about EVs, charging and available incentives.

If you’re contemplating switching to an electric vehicle, stop by the Ameren EV Experience Center where you can learn about EVs, charging and available incentives.

While there, enjoy some EV games, earn prizes even charge your phone while you play. Participate in Ameren’s survey to share your See AUTO SHOW page 13

5 Fight

$

for e th

To help out-of-work union members, families

Please BuckUp what you can.

Every dollar counts to help union families in need.

Three ways to give: Mail: C heck/money order payable to “$5 for the Fight.”

Mail to: $5 for the Fight, c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044; Please include union affiliation.

On line: labortribune.com, click “$5 for the Fight.”

Reoccurring credit card donation: labortribune.com, “$5 for the Fight.”

Select “Automatic monthly deduction,” amount and number of months donation.

NOTE: Credit card billing statement will read “505 Publications.”

Remember, 100% of your donation goes into the“Fight Fund.”

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 20242 • 13

Auto show From page 12

Automakers From page 1

DRIFTING EXHIBITION – Returning this year in a special area outside the Dome will be a tire-smoking exhibition by drifting champions.

thoughts on EVs to receive one of three premium giveaways: a hand warmer power bank, car safety tool or light-up beanie.

Children 12 and under get in free.

Group discounts are available. Call 314-822-0333 for details.

GET YOUR TICKETS

• Thursday, Jan. 18, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Friday, Jan. 19, Noon to 9 p.m.

• Saturday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Sunday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster. General Admission adult tickets are $12.

Board recently found that Tesla has employed multiple illegal tactics against organizing efforts, including online harassment, employee interrogations and retaliatory findings. Tesla successfully reversed one of those accusations, but continues to face repeated sanctions.

Meanwhile, Tesla owner Elon Musk has sued to dismantle the National Labor Relations Board’s in-house courts via his other company, SpaceX, according to Politico.

Musk, whose official title at Tesla is “Technoking,” has been a frequent union critic, according to CNN. “I think the unions naturally try to create negativity in a company and create a kind of lords and peasants situation. There are no lords and peasants [at Tesla],” he said. “I say if Tesla gets unionized it will be because we deserve it and we failed in some way.”

The NLRB also found that Lucid illegally fired two employees for joining the UAW, according to Bloomberg.

NEUTRALITY AGREEMENTS The letter calls for the companies to implement a neutrality agreement at the manufacturing plants as “the bare minimum standard,” especially for companies benefiting from federal funds related to electric vehicle transition.

“All workers, no matter what states they live in, should have a free and unhindered opportunity to join a union,” the letter read.

The letter was praised by UAW President Shawn Fain. “Every autoworker in this country deserves their fair share of the auto industry’s record profits, whether at the Big Three or the Non-Union

Thirteen,” he said. “We applaud these U.S. senators for standing with workers who are standing up for economic justice on the job. It’s time for the auto companies to stop breaking the law and take their boot off the neck of the American autoworker, whether they’re at Volkswagon, Toyota, Tesla, or any other corporation doing business in this country.”

The letter was addressed to 13 auto companies, including Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagon, and Volvo. After the UAW deal was signed, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda announced they would increase workers’ pay by nine to 25 percent, and Honda declared that its team members have not shown an interest in representation, according to the New York Times.

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14 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Your Health Mind, Body, Spirit

Get your resolutions in shape with these 10 tips from world-class athlete Brenda Martinez New Year’s resolutions tend to follow the same drill – we set a goal,

watch the ball drop at midnight, and then drop the ball on our healthy

habits about two weeks later.

That’s probably because when it comes to resolutions, people think bigger is better (“New year, new MARTINEZ me!”). But lofty declarations on Dec. 31 don’t exactly translate into healthy habits. It’s the smaller steps that lead to real change. Achieving your health goals is about patience and commitment, whether you’re working to burn off post-holiday

Flexibility Each day is a unique challenge.

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weight, improve your sleep quality or train for your first 5k.

World-class track and field athlete Brenda Martinez is no stranger to patience and commitment when it comes to sticking to goals. Here, she shares some daily tips to help keep your New Year’s resolutions active all year long.

1. Positive affirmations: If you can go there in the mind, you can go there in the body. I repeat positive phrases to myself throughout the day – “I can do this.”… “I am strong!”…

“Believe in yourself !”

2. Visualize your goals: I’m a very visual person so I keep a vision board with my ideal daily schedule that I want to stick to in plain sight to hold myself accountable. If you are also a visual thinker, this is a great way to make completing tasks and goals even more satisfying.

3. Good energy: I make sure I surround myself with positive energy.

It can be hard to separate yourself from negativity but this is a must in order to achieve your goals.

4. Play the long game: I set short term goals and focus on them, but am always mindful of my ultimate goal. Try to focus on the journey and not the end result.

5. Make your goals work for you: Set goals that are important to you, not someone else. Never compare your goals to other people’s goals!

6. A good night’s rest: I need to make

sure to sleep eight hours per night. I feel productive when I start my day by 6:30 a.m., so it’s lights out for me by 10:30 p.m. Consistency is key.

7. Whole health: As I get older, I need to be more conscious of my nutrition because diabetes runs in my family. I make it a priority to keep this in mind in my day-to-day diet. Consider your personal wholehealth picture when managing things like sleep, nutrition, exercise and mindfulness.

8. Be creative: I always try to make time for myself to make things that bring joy to my life. I enjoy doing DIY projects. Find what makes you happy and make time for it.

9. Don’t forget about self-care: I need to remember that self-love and selfacceptance are important. I can’t be harsh on myself when I fall short of my goals. Taking time to relax and refuel to make sure you don’t burn yourself out.

10. Don’t forget about others: I strive to better my relationships by calling and reaching out to family and friends. Make sure to check in with others to see how they’re doing or if you can support them in any way.

Bonus tip: If you’re having trouble knowing where to start or holding yourself accountable, the Attain

by Aetna app can help. Make sure you have notifications turned on to receive helpful reminders.

(Information from aetna.com)

Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss?

The pop music refrain of “O-O-OOzempic” is all over TV these days.

Ozempic and its sister drug, Wegovy, are the new weight-loss drugs of choice for celebrities, but are they right for you? As the popularity of Ozempic and Wegovy, continues to grow, so do the questions people have about the potential benefits and risks.

Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for semaglutide and injectables. But they’re not exactly the same. Both drugs decrease appetite and slow down emptying of the stomach so people feel less hungry and eat less. They can cause some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.

Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable medication formulated to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. Although not officially a weight loss drug, research suggests that people who take Ozempic may lose modest amounts of weight while on the medication.

Wegovy is supposed to be used for people who have a body mass index (or BMI) of 30 or greater along with those who have a BMI of 27 or greater who also have other health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol that make weight loss important.

Some people who do not have obesity or weight-related health conditions have been saying that they’re using Wegovy or Ozempic to drop 10 pounds and “get skinny.”

REASONS TO BE CAUTIOUS Wegovy and Ozempic are not for everyone. Ozempic is approved for people with type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy is approved for people with obesity or those who are overweight and have health problems related to excess weight.

If you lose weight with new drugs, you likely will need to keep taking the medications forever to keep the weight off. People who stop

taking Wegovy and Ozempic often gain weight back relatively quickly.

The drugs are expensive, and in general, insurance plans don’t cover them for weight loss (although they often do for people with diabetes).

The popularity of the new drugs has led to some shortages.

The drugs can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.

A small percentage of people who take the drugs can suffer from a diabetes eye complication called retinopathy. Along with consulting with your primary care provider or endocrinologist, you should also see your eye doctor.

The drugs tend to suppress a person’s appetite, but to lose weight, you’ll still need to reduce your intake of desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages and fatty foods. And, of course, exercise is important to keep your body healthy.

Some people have complained about looking older due to “Wegovy or Ozempic face.” While many people taking weight loss drugs are pleased to shed some pounds, some say they’re dropping weight in the wrong place: their face. Some have complained of looking old and gaunt due to fat loss in the face.

While there are reasons to be cautious about the newest drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy are helping many people lose considerable weight — about 12 percent of body mass, on average — which can dramatically improve a person’s health. Your doctor can help you determine if you are a good candidate for Ozempic or Wegovy.

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024 • 15

Calendar of Events Save the Date Jan. 18 – Missouri Women inTrades (MOWIT) Meetup for tradeswomen and women interested in joining the building trades, 4 to 6 p.m. at the AGC Training Center, 6301 Knox Industrial Ave. in St. Louis.

RSVPs are required and food will be provided. Register at mowit.org or call 636-926-6948.

Jan. 20 – IBEW Local 1 Women’s Committee Comedy Night featuring Kevin Patterson and Jodi White will be held at the Local 1 union hall at 5850 Elizabeth Ave. in St. Louis.

Door open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Beer and soda will be provided. Guests may bring their own snacks.

MO laws

Jan. 24 – St. Louis Faith Labor Alliance Breakfast, hosted by Missouri Jobs with Justice (MOJWJ), will be held at the Painters District Council 58 union hall at 2501 59th St. in St. Louis from 7:30 to 9 a.m. For more information, contact The Rev. Teresa Danieley, of MOJWJ, at teresa@mojwj. org or call her at 314-503-7415.

To register, visit mojwj.org/action/join-a-st-louis-faith-laboralliance-breakfast.

Jan. 27 – Machinists District 9 BB Gun Shoot for Veterans will be held indoors at the District 9 union hall at 12365 St. Charles

Rock Road. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Shooting cards are $5 each with three shots or $10 each with six shots. The event will include drinks and a 50/50 raffle. Sponsorships are also available. For more information, call Adam R. Conley at 573-953-9206 or Mary Farley at 636-222-2558.

FEBRUARY Feb 3 – Women Running for Office 101, hosted by the St. Louis chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus, begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Richmond Heights Memorial Library, 8001 Dale Ave., in Richmond Heights. The cost is $30 to attend and includes lunch

and printed materials. To register, visit https://shorturl.at/mqCN9.

For more information, email nwpc. stltraining@gmail.com.

Feb 3 – 17th Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, sponsored by the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor, will be held at the Machinists union hall, 161 N. Shamrock St. in East Alton, Ill. Registration begins at 4 p.m., and play starts at 5 p.m. Proceeds benefit the federation’s scholarship program.

To register, visit facebook.com/ events/928581685304441.

Feb 3 – UAW Local 2250 Polar Plunge Plunge, benefitting Special Olympics Missouri, will take place between noon and 2 p.m. at Lake St. Louis, 100 Cognac Court, in Lake Saint Louis. Participants must register prior to the event at support.somo.org/team/550258. For

more information, visit somo.org/ calendar/2024-polar-plungelake-st-louis.

Feb. 4 – 2nd Annual Laborers Local 110 Cornhole Tournament, benefitting Focus Marines, will be held at the Local 110 union hall at 4532 S. Lindbergh Blvd. in Sunset Hills. Check in is at 11:30 a.m. and bags fly at noon.

The cost is $25 per person or $50 per team and only cash or checks will be accepted. Make checks payable to Focus Marines. For more information, call Local 110 President Rob Reed at 314-805-1272.or call 636-926-6948.

GET LISTED Have something for the Calendar?

Send it to Sheri Gassaway at Labor Tribune, 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101 or email sheri@labortribune.com.

From page 1

is higher than nine percent. If that rate is at or below 3.5 percent, Missourians would only receive eight weeks of unemployment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Missouri in November (the most recent figure) was at 3.2 percent. Republicans have been pushing to lower the number of weeks of unemployment since 2015 to no avail.

“We’ve got a great team in place in Jefferson City, and they do their best to make sure workers’ rights are protected,” Hummel said.

Overall, the Missouri AFL-CIO is tracking over 70 pre-filed bills in the Missouri legislature that could impact working families.

INITIATIVE PETITIONS About 30 of those bills pertain to creating changes in the Missouri initiative petition process, making it harder for voters to have a voice. That’s the process voters used to overturn phony “right-to-work” and to approve Proposition B, raising the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour effective Jan. 1, 2024.

How a bill becomes law in Missouri Missouri’s legislative session starts in January and ends in May every year.

This is when bills become laws in Missouri. The governor may convene the General Assembly in special session for a maximum of 60 calendar days at any time. In order for a bill to become a law in Missouri, it must take the following path: 1. Filing – Legislators introduce bills, which includes prefiling before session begins. Then bill are read for a first and a second time.

2. Committee – The bill is assigned to a committee. Some of the bills will be put on the schedule and then they will have a public hearing.

3. Sent to floor for debate – The bill is sent to the floor for a debate. This is also where filibusters can happen to stall a bill.

4. Sent to second chamber – The bill is sent to the second chamber where the same process as above continues.

After it passes the second chamber, the bill is then read for a third time. If the

House and Senate bills are different, a committee is appointed to reconcile the two different bills.

5. Final pass – The vote is truly agreed upon and passed by the Senate and the House.

6. Sent to the governor to be signed – The governor can either sign or veto the bill. If signed, the bill becomes law.

If vetoed, the House and Senate can override the bill with a 2/3 vote.

Other topics of concern among the pre-filed bills, Hummel said,

include a repeal of prevailing wage, charter school expansion and other

modifications to unemployment benefits for workers.

(Information from PROMO Missouri)

Congratulations to the

Coalition of Black Trade Unionist Honorees!

For their contributions in the traditions of Dr. King, for racial and economic justice, Labor, & human rights in the St. Louis Metro Communities.

EARLINE JONES Retiree – CWA Local 6300 1973 Founding Member - STL CTBU

JOHN MAY Retiree – UAW Local 110 1973 Founding Member - STL CTBU

REV. DR. TERESA DANIELEY Champion Organizer Missouri Jobs with Justice

Brandon W. Campbell, Director • Lucas DeSpain, Assistant Director • Fredrick Jamison, President • Dontay Wilson, Vice President – Kansas Tony Renfro, Vice President – Missouri • Ethel Sims, Financial Secretary • Kim Cook-Bell, Recording Secretary William Hugeback, Trustee • J.T. Pulliam, Trustee • Jeff Schweedler, Trustee

16 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, January 18-24, 2024

Doing More in 2024

By DAVID A. COOK President By the time you read this, we will be well into 2024 and maybe a few of us will have already given up on our New Year’s Resolutions. If you haven’t, stick to it! That gym routine won’t feel COOK like a chore forever.

Shortly before the new year, I recorded a video for our Facebook page where I discussed opportunities available for our partners right here at UFCW Local 655.

Some of you reading this have probably already heard about this from your union rep. Between the election year and our reinvigorated organizing efforts, Local 655 is looking for all hands on deck.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE PROGRAM Our union leave of absence program is laid out in most of our major contracts. It allows a partner to come out of their workplace, without losing your pay, benefits, or seniority rights. You’ll continue to be paid your wage rate and your pension and health insurance continue. Your job is waiting for you when you choose to return to work with no loss in seniority. Essentially, it’s a chance to join Local 655 for a special project, but with the safety net of your old job waiting for you whenever you want.

So, if you come out of your workplace and join us for, as an example, an organizing campaign, perhaps you’ll be with us for a few months as we try to grow our union family and welcome more hard-working people into the Labor Movement. Or perhaps after a week or two, you’ll decide that this isn’t exactly what you had in mind. That’s ok! You can step away with no hard feelings and head back to work. It’s not every day you are given a chance to try something totally new with a guarantee like that.

POLITICS Maybe you’re interested in politics. Well, great. We have something for those folks as well. As we get closer to our primary and general election dates, Local 655 will become increasingly involved in elections. As most of you know, we only get involved on issues related to workers. This means we will be supporting candidates of both parties and campaigning in all kinds of places around the state.

We’ll also be supporting some petitiongathering efforts as well, looking to put issues on the ballot that matter to Missouri workers. My personal favorite is the statewide effort to ensure that all workers, union or not, have a minimum number of guaranteed paid days off every year. It’s sad that this is something we are still fighting for here when so many other countries saw the importance of this kind of policy decades ago. Letting workers have time with their loved ones is critical to a happy workplace and to a better life. After all, most of us aren’t just working for ourselves, we’re working to care for the ones we love.

So, as we head into the campaign season, we’ll dispatch folks to gather signatures for important causes, knock on doors, phone bank and more. If that sounds like something you’d like to try, then pick up the phone and call your union rep, or your Local 655 union hall at 636-394-6500 or 800-882-6560.

DEFEAT OF SO-CALLED “RIGHT-TO-WORK In 2018, we brought dozens of partners out of their workplaces for weeks and even months to fight so-called phony “right-towork. Make no mistake: our efforts on that campaign are what defeated Prop A! Without Local 655 and our signature-gathering efforts, we would not have been successful in putting that issue before the voters. It was the staff and, importantly you, our partners of Local 655, that went to every corner of this state to fight for themselves and for all workers.

VICTORY – Missouri voters overwhelmingly defeated so-called “right-to-work” in 2018 by better than a two-to-one majority, 67.5 percent to 32.5 percent. UFCW Local 655 members’ efforts on that campaign were key to defeating the proposition.

– Labor Tribune file photo

I can’t possibly express the feeling we had that night in August when our Local 655 staff and our hard-working partners stood shoulder-to-shoulder and watched as Prop A was crushed in real time. The joy we shared bonded us all in a special way. It was a remarkable moment to be part of.

So ask yourself, do you want to try something different? Are you looking for something new? Would you enjoy fighting for workers by helping the effort to expand paid days off, or electing candidates that will stand up for Missourians instead of corporations?

Do you see organizing as a possibility?

Do you want to talk to workers about the benefits of a union contract and help them

fight for the right to have their own?

Maybe you’re reading this and you’re just not sure. Maybe you need a little more information, a little more context, a little more guidance. If you’re just curious that’s fine too. Call your union rep, or call this union hall. We’d love to talk to you more to see if you’re interested.

A NEW PATH? Ask yourself, what do you have to lose?

Then, ask yourself, what could you possibly gain? A great experience you can remember for a lifetime? Maybe a new pathway in life at a different career? Maybe just a change of pace, a fresh start, and something different.

It’s 2024, and it’s time to do more.

From Everyone at the offices of

Share Your Pride: Share this page in your break room.