09/25/23 Missouri Mondays - UAW Solidarity Rally / Food Drive Sept 27 / In-Person absentee voting..
In-Person absentee voting begins Sept 26 / Show up for great candidates this week / So many ways to make a difference!
Welcome to another Missouri Mondays!
3,700 UAW workers at GM in Wentzville, MO are entering their second week as part of the simultaneous strike against the Big Three automakers. “We’re fighting for the working class in general,” said Adam Purfeest, a General Motors assembly line worker for the last 11 years. The last year or so, the last two years, it’s been hard to survive,” he said, “and that’s for anybody.” Missouri Independent Sept 22
Show support for striking workers this Wednesday September 27th at the UAW Solidarity Rally and Donation Drive for Community Pantry from 12:00pm - 4:00pm at UAW Local 31, 500 Kindleberger Rd., Kansas City, KS 66115. Find additional event details below.
Also this week you can make a huge difference with your support for great pro-worker pro-Democracy candidates. You’ll find all the candidate event details listed below.
This Tuesday, September 26 is the start of in person absentee voting for the special election on November 7. Find important Missouri voter resources below to make sure you are #VoteReady!
Thank you for staying informed and taking action with allies across Missouri! Help us spread the word and share this link to sign up for Missouri Mondays weekly email https://bit.ly/3pF99Uw.
Missouri in the News
“‘Trying to set the example’: Wentzville GM strike enters its second week”
“The 3,700 union-represented workers at General Motors in Wentzville were among the first groups selected to strike in a historic national action against all Big Three automakers beginning last week.”
“Adam Purfeerst has been standing along the edge of Highway A in Wentzville for hours, lifting his picket sign and waving to passing drivers, whose staccato honks and loud blares punctuate the Thursday afternoon.
“We’re fighting for the working class in general,” said Purfeest, a General Motors assembly line worker for the last 11 years.
“The last year or so, the last two years, it’s been hard to survive,” he said, “and that’s for anybody.”
Members of the United Auto Workers, or UAW, have been stationed on concrete islands outside five sets of gates that enclose a sprawling General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, 40 miles west of St. Louis, for the last week. Their demands include higher pay and benefits, an end to a tiered system of employment and better treatment for temporary workers.”
https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/22/trying-to-set-the-example-wentzville-gm-strike-enters-its-second-week/ Missouri Independent Sept 22
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‘Squad' members rally with UAW workers in Wentzville, MO
“Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis County and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the latest politicians and political figures to join Local 2250 employees on the picket line Sunday.
“I’m here to stand in solidarity with you,” said Bush, whose father was a union meat cutter. “When workers who build the Chevy Colorado can’t afford to buy a Chevy Colorado, that’s a red flag, and it’s time for a change."
Ocasio-Cortez called it an honor to be asked to rally with the workers. She said it was time for the UAW to call in the “IOU” workers granted when they offered concessions to help stabilize the auto industry in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse. “It’s time to cash the check,” she said.”
https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2023-09-24/squad-members-rally-gm-workers-on-day-10-of-wentzville-strike St. Louis Public Radio Sept 24
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Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher “accused of ‘unlawful’ conduct in push for contract, drawing FBI scrutiny”
“The top Republican in the Missouri House is facing allegations he threatened to terminate the employment of a nonpartisan legislative staffer who resisted his months-long push to hire a private company to manage constituent information.
House Speaker Dean Plocher vehemently denies the accusations, which were uncovered through public records obtained by The Independent under Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
But Dana Miller, chief clerk of the House since 2018 and a chamber staff member since 2001, wrote in an email to a GOP lawmaker last week about “threats made by Speaker Plocher concerning my future employment.”
She wrote that Plocher made statements to her “connecting this contract with campaign activity” — suggesting the speaker’s motivation was his 2024 campaign for lieutenant governor — and expressed that she had “growing concerns of unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct.”
Miller wasn’t the only legislative staffer expressing concerns. In another message obtained through the Sunshine Law, a House employee complained that the pressure for the contract was “insanely inappropriate” and would lead to more bad behavior if Plocher got his way. “
Full story here: https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/22/missouri-lawmaker-accused-of-unlawful-conduct-in-push-for-contract-drawing-fbi-scrutiny/ Missouri Independent Sept 22
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“The Independent wins 23 journalism awards in annual Missouri Press contest”
“The Missouri Independent won 23 awards Saturday — including eight first place honors — in the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
The Independent also took home the Gold Cup for class 2 dailies — the first time an online-only publication has been awarded the event’s top honor.
In addition to the individual awards, environmental reporter Allison Kite was also presented the 2023 William E. James Outstanding Young Journalist Award, which recognizes reporters who have demonstrated excellence in the field of journalism and maintained the quality, ethics and standards of The Journalist’s Creed, written by Walter Williams, founding dean of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.”
https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/the-independent-wins-23-journalism-awards-in-annual-missouri-press-contest/ Missouri Independent Sept 22
Subscribe to the Missouri Independent Newsletter “The Daily Independent”
Fair and tough reporting on the politics and policy decisions that affect all Missourians is more important than ever. Sign up today for The Missouri Independent’s newsletter to receive hard-hitting coverage of your state government delivered to your inbox each day, absolutely free. https://missouriindependent.com/subscribe/
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MISSOURI MONDAYS NEWS SUPPLEMENT!
With so much important news each week we don’t want you to miss a thing! Check out our MISSOURI MONDAYS NEWS SUPPLEMENT here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13cokjWlCh2EkY5K6bM357rjVPizZDzxlMqjAuoBQfoI/edit?usp=sharing
UPCOMING EVENTS - WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
TAKE ACTION WITH THE MISSOURI VOTER PROTECTION COALITION (MOVPC)
TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO VOTE
Join the MOVPC weekly online meeting MONDAYS at 10 AM
Text “MOVPC” to 66866 or register HERE: bit.ly/protectmovoters
Our work to protect the vote requires our continued attention! So we hope you'll join our next MOVPC call where we will discuss the necessary steps in our fight to protect the right to vote in Missouri. MOVPC is a nonpartisan statewide network promoting access to the ballot and working to remove barriers to voting in Missouri!
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MO State Representative Keri Ingle
Re-Election Campaign Kickoff
Monday, September 25
6:00 - 7:30PM
Summit Grill
4835 NE Lakewood Way
Lee’s Summit, MO 64064
Please join us for a Re-Election Campaign Kickoff Fundraiser in support of Keri Ingle!
Monday, September 25th from 6:00-7:30 PM at Summit Grill - 4835 NE Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit, MO 64064. Suggested Donation $50 - any amount appreciated.
Donations can be made online at www.keriingle.com or by mail, Committee to Elect Keri Ingle, PO Box 2248, Lee's Summit, MO 64063. Please include employer and occupation for required reporting purposes.
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MO State Rep. Kemp Strickler
End of Quarter Fundraiser
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Llywelyn’s Pub
301 SE Douglas St
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
Join us for a fundraiser in support of Kemp Strickler! Donations can be made online at www.kempstrickler.com or by mail, Friends of Kemp Strickler, PO Box 2468, Lee's Summit, MO 64063. Please include employer and occupation for required reporting purposes.
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Lee's Summit Democrats
Jess Piper, Guest Speaker
Tuesday, September 26
7:00 p.m.
Llywelyn's Pub
301 SE Douglas St.
Lee's Summit, MO
Join Lee’s Summit Democrats after Kemp Strickler’s fundraiser for a special guest speaker--Jess Piper, Executive Director for Blue Missouri and host of the "Dirt Road Democrat" podcast.
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UAW Solidarity Rally and Donation Drive for Community Pantry
Wednesday, September 27th
12:00pm - 4:00pm
UAW Local 31
500 Kindleberger Rd
Kansas City, KS 66115
Come show your support! Wear a RED SHIRT in solidarity with the fight for a fair contract and bring a donation for the community food pantry!
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ARE YOU #VOTEREADY?
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register.
Get #VoteReady! Find more information and voting resources here: https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/
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IMPORTANT MISSOURI VOTER INFORMATION!
Next Election - November 7, 2023 Special Election
Election Day: November 7, 2023
Polls Open: 6:00 a.m.
Polls Close: 7:00 p.m.
Last Day to Register: October 11, 2023
IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING BEGINS: SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
Military & Overseas Portal opens: September 19, 2023
Applications mailed to permanently disabled: September 22, 2023
No Excuse In Person Absentee (Early) Voting Opens: October 24, 2023
Sample Ballot for the Nov 7 Special Election (Kansas City, Jackson County) here: https://www.kceb.org/useruploads/Sample_Ballot_11-23_Final.pdf
More voter information resources
Jackson County MO voters in Kansas City: https://www.kceb.org
All other Jackson County MO voters: https://jcebmo.org/
State of Missouri voter information: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri
League of Women Voters of Kansas City, Jackson-Clay-Platte Counties: https://www.lwvkc.org/
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2023 Abortion Action Missouri Gala
Friday, September 29, 2023 @ 6:00 PM
.ZACK
3224 Locust St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
RSVP here: bit.ly/AAMgala
It is time once again for Pro-Choice Missouri's annual Auction & Gala. But wait! Something's a little different this year. That's right – Pro-Choice Missouri is now officially Abortion Action Missouri! Join us as we celebrate our new name as well as the generosity of our supporters, hear from inspiring speakers, present awards to champions of reproductive freedom in our community, and raise critical funds to rebuild abortion in Missouri. We want Missouri's anti-abortion politicians to know that their continued attacks on our bodily autonomy have not broken our collective spirit. Let's show them that Abortion Action Missouri isn't going anywhere, and that we will continue to loudly and proudly advocate for liberated abortion access and reproductive freedom in our state.
Along with our new name and organizational identity, we're trying something a little different for Gala this year. In lieu of a seated dinner, the event will begin with a cocktail party and then move into our awards and speakers program. This means more uninterrupted schmooze time with your friends, more time to peruse the silent auction, and more yummy appetizers!
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Missouri Democratic Party 2023 Truman Dinner
Wednesday, October 4
Dinner begins at 7:30 p.m.
Marriott St. Louis Grand
800 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63101
Purchase tickets here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/trumandinner23
More information here: https://trumandinner.org/
Join the Missouri Democrats on the evening of Wednesday, October 4th at The Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel as we celebrate the Truman Dinner's 10th year! It's an exciting time to be a Missouri Democrat, as this year's dinner will coincide with a major DNC event in St. Louis! Reserve your spot today to join us for an evening of networking and celebration - including celebrity speakers and a VIP reception with special DNC guests!
Your support will help us energize voters and donors to elect Democrats up and down the ballot across our state. Democrats know what it takes to get results - so let's get to work for hardworking Missourians!
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National Hispanic American Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.
Kansas City Public Library Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
For more information go to: https://kclibrary.org/blog/irene-ruiz-remains-part-library’s-celebration-hispanic-heritage-month
FIND EVENTS AND MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED HERE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19AZUdtRH5WXefOC4Q5D9u-HyuzhBEL8rYX9Ospn3n18/edit?usp=sharing
THANK YOU! for staying informed and taking action to make a difference!
Invite your friends and neighbors to join us and sign up for Missouri Action Alliance and this Missouri Mondays weekly email at https://bit.ly/3pF99Uw.
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