Mo. House shows corporations it stands with workers

President Hoffa joined with workers in Missouri to say no to right-to-work.

Missouri Teamsters and workers around the state got their wish late yesterday when the Legislature stood up for everyday people by saying no to so-called right-to-work (RTW) in the state again.

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers in the Missouri House held firm against out-of-state corporate interests that sought to override the veto of Gov. Jay Nixon and cut wages and worker protections in the "Show Me" state.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa, who joined hundreds of union members from across the state at Teamsters Local 41 in Kansas City last Saturday to support Nixon's veto, said legislators made the right call for workers:

I would like to thank the state legislators who put aside their partisan differences and came together to uphold Gov. Nixon's veto. They recognized that right-to-work is wrong for working families and wrong for the State of Missouri. This has been a true victory for all Missourians.

The victory comes at a time when some are trying to ramp up RTW efforts across the country. While groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council and billionaire industrialists the Koch brothers have long wanted to gut collective bargaining, one of their favorite elected officials -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -- took the issue national this week when he said he would attempt to impose no-rights-at-work if elected president.

There's one big problem for the anti-worker crowd, however. The people don't want RTW, and they're letting their elected officials know it. That's why the issue failed in Missouri and West Virginia this year. At a time when income inequality is growing nationally, the public isn't interested in legislation that would only expand the wallet of big business, not workers.

As President Hoffa wrote in the Huffington Post this week:

Those living in RTW states have a higher poverty rate than those in ones that support collective bargaining. In fact, nine of the 10 highest poverty states are RTW. That, in part, is attributable to lower salaries and benefits. Those with no rights at work make almost $1,500 a year less. They are also less likely to receive employer-based health insurance or pensions as well.

Now is not the time for empty givebacks to the corporate class. Missouri legislators got the message. Others need to wise up.

This is what we union thugs do to OK farmers

We feed their starving cows.

Today, Teamsters from Ohio, Indiana and Missouri picked up 10 tons of hay in Wisconsin and hauled it in tractor-trailers to a place just outside of Oklahoma City. There, farmers and ranchers can pick up the hay for their starving livestock.

Local 886 reports,

The Teamsters participation is part of a project that Farm Aid, Inc., is championing to bring food to cattle owned by Oklahoma farmers. Since this year has been especially dry in Oklahoma, the natural food supply has run critically low and many herds of cattle are near starvation level.

Teamsters Local Union 135 in Indianapolis, Ind., the Ohio Conference of Teamsters and Kansas City's Joint Council 56 all donated their time and tractors to help pick up freshly-harvested hay from northern states and bring it to Oklahoma.

It all started last month at the annual Farm Aid concert in Kansas City. Oklahoma farmers asked for help. They said the drought this year is so bad they have nothing to feed their cattle. Many herds are near starvation. Wisconsin farmkers offered to donate hay, and Farm Aid offered to find a way to get the hay to Oklahoma. And that's where the Teamsters came in.

Hats off to the union thugs at Locals 41, 541, 838, 886 and 955.