Dear Indivisibles,

We had a great weekend at the Workers' Revival, co-hosting a Civics 101 event with the National Congress of Black Women, and kicking off a season of civil disobedience with the Poor People's Campaign. And hugging the moms in our lives! Thank you to everyone who came out. We have one more intensive week of #moleg watching before the legislative session is over and the impeachment session begins.

While Greitens' bad behavior has been grabbing headlines, the Missouri legislature has been working quickly and quietly to undermine our progress protecting Unions. What's "Right to Work" and what the heck is going on in #moleg? We put together an explainer and timeline for you!

What's "Right to Work," and why is it wrong for Missouri workers?

• Under Federal law, no one can be forced to join a Union as a condition of employment. However, Unions are required to represent members and nonmembers equally at any particular employer: If the Union negotiates a wage increase or change in benefits, it applies to everyone. Unions must also represent nonmembers in grievances against the employer. In exchange, nonmembers must pay agency fees to the Union to cover just the cost of representation. Agency fees are separate from Union dues, and don’t cover the Union’s organizing or political activities.
• “Right to Work” laws make it so agency fees are no longer required, but Unions are still required to represent nonmembers in negotiations and grievances equally with nonmembers. This means that Unions still have the same amount of work to do and less money to do it with, so they become fiscally insolvent and collapse. “Right to work” laws are specifically designed to destroy Unions, not to empower workers.
• Implementation of “Right to Work” would result in an annual loss of $1,945 to $2,547 per household across the state, according to a 2014 study.

Timeline:

• In February 2017, Governor Greitens signed a “Right to Work” bill into law. Hours later, pro-union leaders filed referendum petition seeking to freeze the law until it could be put before voters.
• In August 2017, pro-Union groups turned in over 310,000 signatures - three times the required number! - to get “Right to Work” on the November ballot to be decided directly by voters.
• In Spring 2018, “Freedom to Work,” a group backed by Greitens’ dark money org A New Missouri, spent over $750,000 gathering signatures on a competing, anti-Union constitutional amendment, but failed to gather the required number of signatures.
• Last Wednesday, A New Missouri transferred $500,000 more to Freedom to Work. By Friday, the constitutional amendment had received initial approval in the Missouri House (because who needs voters’ signatures when you have legislators in your back pocket?).
• The same day, the Missouri Senate followed the House in voting to move the Union-backed vote from November 2018 to the August primary, where it will be seen by fewer voters.

We can’t let the Governor and Missouri Legislature ignore the clear desires of the people of Missouri, play obvious dirty tricks on voters, or let dark money slide hand to hand in exchange for political favors. We must call them out on it. Go to http://www.senate.mo.gov/Legis…/default.aspx/leg_lookup.aspx
To find your legislators and call them today.

Calls to Action  

Take action on your own schedule! Use your phone and computer to make your voice heard.

Speak up for LGBT Missourians: Did you know that Missouri has no law protecting LGBT folks from discrimination? It is legal in Missouri in 2018 to deny someone housing or dismiss them from their job for no other reason than their LGBT status! We cannot let that continue. Join our letter campaign today and tell your legislator to say Yes to equality, Yes to MONA, Yes to HB 836! We expect a vote this week!

Upcoming Events

Take action with others! Build energy and connection among like-purposed people.

March for Unions: Join Stand Up KC and others with a march and forum to demand new laws guaranteeing all Americans the right to form unions on Wednesday, May 30, from 5pm to 6pm at Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park, E 12th Street. Let's use our strength in numbers to get things done together we can't get done on our own.

Cry, Laugh & Learn: Northland Progress will provide an entertaining recap of everything that happened during the recent session – including how Northland legislators voted on key issues. Join the fun on June 5, 6:30pm - 8:30p, appropriately at Kansas City Improv Club, 7260 NW 87th St., and learn about NP's exciting plans for the coming months.

Did you get a chance to take our survey yet? Indivisible KC is a grassroots organization that was founded and is run by people just like you -- citizens who were too alarmed and fed up to sit back and wait for this moment in history to pass by. Tell us what the organization means to you and what you'd like to see it become. Click here to make your voice heard! And as always, feel free to send us a Facebook message or an email to volunteers@indivisiblekc.com to let us know if you have a special idea, or if you're energized and eager to get more involved.

Shoulder to shoulder with you,

Indivisible KC