Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Supreme Court Vacancy Gives Unions A Big Win

'Fight for 15' campaign to target McDonald's stores April 14 | Business | stltoday.com

'Fight for 15' campaign to target McDonald's stores April 14 | Business | stltoday.com:



click link



snip



NEW YORK • McDonald's customers stopping in for a Big Mac on the eve of Tax Day may be greeted by demonstrators calling for pay of $15 an hour and a union.
Labor organizers say they're planning another day of strikes and protests exclusively targeting McDonald's stores in dozens of cities on April 14, following similar demonstrations outside a variety of fast-food restaurants a year ago.
The move is intended to build on a campaign to lift wages and revitalize union enrollment by spotlighting working conditions at the world's biggest hamburger chain. Already, a wave of demonstrations that began in New York City in late 2012 has made low pay a major political issue and helped spur the passage of higher local minimum wages around the country.
The "Fight for $15" campaign is being backed by the Service Employees International Union, whose members include nursing home workers and janitors who stand to benefit when the wage floor is raised. Although McDonald's has been a primary target, organizers have expanded the campaign in hopes of mobilizing new swaths of low-wage workers including adjunct professors and airport workers.
For April 14, organizers say they're focusing on McDonald's because of its size and ability to influence pay practices throughout the economy.
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note::  some demonstrations planned for st louis

democracy awakening----labor for single payer


Dear ,
Six years ago, the Supreme Court undermined our democracy with Citizens United. In 2013, they did it again by gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Deaf to the pleas of millions, Congress has failed to right these wrongs. Now, we must act.
Democracy Awakening will bring thousands of Americans to Washington, DC from April 16-18 for a long weekend of workshops, trainings, rallies, music, advocacy and direct action in support of voting rights and money in politics reform.
Labor for Single Payer understands that no real healthcare reform is possible as long as big money flows unchecked into our political system and states are allowed to reinstate Jim Crow-style voting restrictions. That is why we are joining with the CWA, NAACP, APWU, People for the American Way, Pride at Work and nearly 200 other allies to build a powerful new movement to awaken democracy.
Please join us in Washington DC April 16-18. RSVP Today.
For information on finding transportation to Washington, click here.

Susan Sarandon May Vote Trump Over Hillary

CNN Republican Town Hall: The Best Line Was...

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Paul Ryan Shrugs

Bernie Sanders Speech Vs. Donald Trump Speech

bernie on cenk today

Cenk Uygur interviews Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Click here to watch the LIVE event TODAY at 3p PT/6pET at tytnetwork.com/live

Can't watch the live event? Get all of our special events here: tytnetwork.com/specialevents
Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address or to stop receiving emails from The Young Turks, please click here.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Republicans Furious At Obama’s Cuba Trip

Trump’s Wife's Nudes Are Being Using Against Him

Donald Trump Wins The Presidency Will First Lady || Donald and Melania ...

Wall St. Thinks Elizabeth Warren Is Darth Vader

CNN Town Hall: The Biggest Controversy Was…

delegate training in Missouri

Want to learn how to become a 2016 Missouri Delegate!? Join MDP Staff and Delegate Selection Chair Bob Levine this Saturday at the Painters and Allied Trades District Council #58 Hall for our fourth Delegate Selection Training session.

Where: Painters and Allied Trades District Council #58 Hall, 2501 59th St., St. Louis, MO 63110.
When: 1:00PM Saturday, March 26th
RSVP: 573-636-5241 or info@missouridems.org
 
Becoming a 2016 Missouri Delegate is a once in a life-time opportunity to represent the Show-Me-State and nominate our next President at the Democratic National Convention this July in Philadelphia.
 
Can’t make it to St. Louis? See below for more Missouri Delegate training opportunities and spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors, and anyone else you think would be interested in becoming a 2016 Missouri Delegate. We'll also be posting a video from our KC training online soon so stay posted!
 
  • March 26, 2016: Joplin, 2-4pm at Laborers Local 319, 2001 Empire Ave., Joplin, MO 64804.
  • April 2, 2016: Fulton,1-3pm at REA Coop Room, 1313 Cooperative Dr., Fulton, MO 65251.
We’re less than a month away from the first major step in becoming a delegate at the April 7th Local Caucus meetings! For more information on the MDP Delegate Selection process, please visit our website, http://missouridems.org/party/delegates/ , or contact MDP HQ at 573-636-5241.
 

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

jefferson award for eastside soar



I just received the letter (attached) from Gary Gaines that our SOAR Chapter will be receiving the Jefferson Foundation Award from the USW Executive Board in June.
(Looks like Jeff might have to buy a new suit)
 
Info on the Jefferson Award is at the link below.   
 
 
Each and every SOAR member should be very proud of the work that our SOAR Chapter does in support of the local community agencies in need, our scholarship program and the great participation and support we receive at our monthly meetings.
 
Thanks to Gary Gaines and Charlie Averill for submitting our SOAR Chapter for this prestigious award.   

 DB-

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congrats to well deserved group

Sunday, March 13, 2016

bernie in saint louis monday

Bernie Sanders for President

Gary -
Bernie is coming to St. Louis on Monday to hold "A Future to Believe In" rally — don't miss this chance to see him in person! Join us for a conversation about the issues that matter: making college tuition-free, getting big money out of politics, combating climate change, and much more.
As we fast approach the Missouri primary on Tuesday, March 15th, we need everyone to get involved to make this event a success. Can Bernie count on you to join him on Monday?
A Future to Believe In Rally with Bernie Sanders
Monday, March 14th

Doors open at 4:30 pm
Family Arena
2002 Arena Parkway, Saint Charles MO
These events are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Admission is first come, first served. For security reasons, please do not bring bags, and limit what you bring to small personal items like keys and cell phones. Weapons, sharp objects, chairs, and signs or banners on sticks will not be allowed through security. Parking available on site for a fee. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.
Can you be a part of Bernie's inspiring campaign? It will take all of us working together to win the Missouri primary on Tuesday, March 15th.
Look forward to seeing you there!
- Team Missouri for Bernie



Paid for by Bernie 2016
(not the billionaires)
PO Box 905 - Burlington VT 05402 United States - (855) 4-BERNIE

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note:  some of the links not working.


Single-Payer Universal Health Care Explained

Republican Elites Plot Convention Against Trump

Carson Endorsement Cold Open - SNL

Sunday, March 6, 2016

CNN Election Center Cold Open - SNL

The TRUE Flint story you won't hear anywhere else.

Dunphy: Who is behind right to work? - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com

Dunphy: Who is behind right to work? - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com:



click



snip



West Virginia’s Republican-dominated legislature mustered enough votes to override the Democratic governor’s veto of a right to work bill. Twenty-six states have now enacted right to work legislation, which seriously weakens unions by depleting their treasuries. Union dues are voluntary in right to work states, and unions are required to represent all workers – whether dues-paying union members or not – at a business.
Advocates of right to work insist this is a fair arrangement for unions. When it comes to their own organizations, however, these shills quickly change their tune. The Owensboro, Kentucky Building and Construction Trade Council of the AFL-CIO contacted the local chamber of commerce and asked about the “possibility of remaining a member of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce without paying our membership dues.” Could the council “remain a member” and “take full benefit of the Chamber benefits” without paying any membership dues whatsoever?
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note:  same in Missouri and I suspect more, more and more states

Friday, March 4, 2016

Here Mitt Comes To Save The Day

After Super Tuesday Losses, Bernie Sanders Is in a Whole Lot of Trouble | Mother Jones

After Super Tuesday Losses, Bernie Sanders Is in a Whole Lot of Trouble | Mother Jones:



click link



snip



For months, Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign has counted on a big performance on Super Tuesday, when delegates were up for grabs in 11 nominating contests. After it racked up a big win in New Hampshire and came away with virtual ties in Iowa and Nevada—and lost disastrously in South Carolina—the senator from Vermont was quick to point out that on March 1, voters "will pick 10 times more pledged delegates on one day than were selected in the four early states so far in this campaign." And on March 1, his campaign got shellacked.
In five Southern states, where African American voters made up a large portion of the electorate, Hillary Clinton left Sanders in the dust. Three days after conceding the South Carolina primary by 48 points, he lost by overwhelming margins in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Arkansas. In Texas, where the majority of Democrats are nonwhite and 252 delegates were at stake, he lost by more than 30 points. Sanders banked heavily on strong performances in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Colorado, and Oklahoma, and he was counting on winning at least three of them. (He'd left South Carolina behind last week to campaign with Iron Range workers in Bob Dylan's hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota.) He did win three, along with his home state of Vermont, where just 26 delegates were at stake. But a loss in Massachusetts was a setback, and the enormous margins down South set him way back in the delegate count.

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note:  some of this analysis is bullhocky.  fact, bernie folks not showing up to polls.  In mo and Ill, pretty evenly split.  bernie will win both if supporters show up to polls

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Missouri healthcare law updates, pending and proposed



Dear Gary,
There’s a lot happening in the Missouri Capitol, and we want to make sure you are up to date. Read on for recent updates and ways you can take action to increase access to health care.
Health Care Lobby Day
Missouri Health Care for All’s first lobby day on February 17 was a huge success. Nearly 100 people from around the state joined us to talk to their legislators about asset limits, rate review, and closing Missouri’s Coverage Gap. Our visits made a difference, as you’ll see below.
What you can do:
Sign up to join coalition partners at a Rally for Justice in the Capitol on Tuesday, March 17.
Sign up to attend our next Health Care Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 19. Click here: 04/19 10:00am April Lobby Day
Bill to raise asset limits advances
Under current law, people with disabilities and seniors lose their Medicaid coverage if they have too much money in the bank - just $999 for an individual and $2,000 for a couple. These limits were set in 1967 and have not changed since. As a result, people with disabilities and seniors cannot save their own money to help with expenses like education, home and car repairs, and other basic needs. HB 1565 would gradually raise Missouri's asset limits, allowing people to save their own money for important expenses. Last week, the Missouri House passed HB 1565 by a vote of 151-7 – this is great news! Now the bill moves to the Senate.
What you can do:
  1. Your state rep voted for HB 1565 – click here to thank them for their vote
  2. Please call your state senator and encourage him or her to support HB 1565. Click here to look up your state senator’s phone number: My Legislators
Rate review gains co-sponsors
Missouri's health insurance rates are going up much faster than the national average. One reason may be that Missouri is the only U.S. state where our Department of Insurance is not allowed to review or publish health insurance rates. Giving the Missouri Department of Insurance the ability to review health insurance rates could help keep premiums lower for Missouri. There have been two bills filed that would create rate review in Missouri. One, HB 1405, picked up four additional co-sponsors – two Republicans and two Democrats – after our lobby day. We will keep you posted on progress on this issue.
Missouri still needs to close the Coverage Gap
We continue to talk to legislators about the need to close the Coverage Gap. While we are frustrated that Missouri hasn’t yet closed this gap, we are reminded that it often takes 5-10 years to pass a bill in Missouri. We are in this fight for the long haul and we have a strategy to win. Please join us in the Capitol on either March 17 or April 19, and please watch your e-mail for ways to get involved locally.
Want more information on the bills we are tracking? Go to www.mohealthcareforall.org/take-action and click “Bills” for information on these and other bills.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Jen, Crystal, Sarah, Drew, Dottie, Racheal and Sophie
Missouri Health Care for All

Does The US Primary System Need Reformed?

Media Swears Hillary's Unstoppable Because They Know She Isn't

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

2016 Illinois Elections, Primary, Candidates, Races and Voting

2016 Illinois Elections, Primary, Candidates, Races and Voting:



click link and site has other links



snip for Il senate



Dick Durbin (D) | Campaign Website 
Has been in office since: 1997
* Next Election in 2020.
Mark Kirk (R) | Campaign Website
Has been in office since: 2011
* Next Election in 2016.
Senate Candidates:

2016 Missouri Elections, Primary, Candidates, Races and Voting

2016 Missouri Elections, Primary, Candidates, Races and Voting:



click link and site has more links.



this lists folks so far running for federal and state office in Missouri



note:  some time left to file for office in state



snip



Missouri Governor:
Jay Nixon (D)* Term Limited in 2016.
Election Race Candidates:
  • Chris Koster (D)
    ~ Attorney General, Ex-State Senator, Ex-Cass County Prosecuting Attorney
  • Eric Morrison (D) 
    ~ Pastor, Civil Rights Activist
  • Leonard Steinman (D) 
    ~ Blue Collar Worker, Veteran
  • Charlie Wheeler (D) 
    ~ Physician, Attorney, Ex-Kansas City Mayor, Ex-State Senator
  • John Brunner (R)~ Retired Health Care Products Manufacturing Executive, USMC Veteran
  • Eric Greitens (R)~ Non-Profit Executive, Author, Iraq/Afghan War Veteran
  • Catherine Hanaway (R)~ Ex-US Attorney, Ex-State House Speaker
  • Peter Kinder (R)
    ~ Lieutenant Governor, Ex-Senate President Pro Tem, Attorney, Ex-Congressional Aide
  • Ted Brown (Libertarian) 
    ~ Retired Police Officer/Firefighter
  • Cisse Spragins (Libertarian)
    ~ Businesswoman, Physicist, Ex-State Party Chair
  • Les Turilli Jr. (Independent)
    ~ Businessman

Bernie Sanders is the Answer: A Vote For Hillary is a Vote for Donald Trump

Leonardo DiCaprio Used Oscar Acceptance Speech To Deliver Important Message