Missouri SEIU Members Converge on the Capitol

2008 Lobby Day

On April 29th, over fifty SEIU members met in Jefferson City, MO to meet with lawmakers about issues important to all working families. Local 1 and Local 2000 members traveled from Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, and other areas of the state at the most critical and important time to influence legislators. With only three weeks remaining in the 2008 legislative session, several bills that could impact SEIU members were moving quickly through the state capital. MEmeber Political Organizers get ready l

MEmeber Political Organizers get ready l

SEIU members fought to help all workers by discussing Missouri’s health care crisis with lawmakers. The massive cuts implemented three years ago by Governor Blunt left over 100,000 Missourians without healthcare. Despite promises, the Republican controlled legislature has failed to pass any solution to help Missouri’s neediest citizens. As the largest healthcare union in the country, SEIU is committed to solving our health care crisis so all working families can afford coverage.

SEIU members also fought against “Paycheck Deception,”

a legislative effort to attack all the unions in our state. Workers stopped this bill that would have resulted in the death or silencing of our political voices at work to represent our workers in Missouri.

Public employees represented by SEIU lobbied on “Collective Bargaining Rights” for union and employer mediation and arbitration processes and mandatory “Cost of Living Pay Adjustments” for state workers to receive at least an annual raise connected with the Consumer Price Index.

SEIU members also worked outside of Jefferson City on important political issues. Our union had an enormous share of voter initiative petition efforts such as “Anti-Civil Rights”, and “Paycheck Deception” issues both where defeated on the streets.

Lobby Day events in the Missouri Capitol are a critical function of the MO/KS-SEIU State Council, organizing members to exercise their rights by participating in the political process to speak for workers in our state.