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Today's Poll!Panel asked to block automatic state worker union fees
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
State employees shouldn’t be required to pay union fees without their permission, state Sen. Jason Crowell told a Senate committee Tuesday.
And he urged the same committee to change Missouri law so that the state’s minimum wage never can be higher than the federal minimum wage.
The committee took no action on either measure Tuesday.
Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, told the Senate’s Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee that any state employee working where a union has been voted in as a bargaining unit should have to give permission both to have the state withhold the union’s fees and, separately, to have any of that money spent on political activity.
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Comments
Moblogger 2 years, 2 months ago
Well if the state is broke how are they supposed to pay the benefits. What do people NOT understand about broke?
him 2 years, 2 months ago
Lay off more state workers! How else do you think they pay for everything?
carolyn 2 years, 2 months ago
I'd be shocked if Missouri's minimum wage increased enough to even match the Federal minimum wage. Salaries are so low in this state big call centers are moving in and you can work a full time job at Federal minimum wage and draw food stamps because you are still below Federal poverty level. We may never catch up to the rest of the country. A business can pay 10.00 an hour and that's considered good money. If they pay 12.00 they expect you to have a bachelor's degree.
JMO 2 years, 2 months ago
Actually, Missouri requires employers to pay the state's minimum wage, (which is the same as the fed at this time) or the federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. (So long as a retail or service business has gross annual sales or business done of over $500,000.) Most businesses fall under this.
JMO 2 years, 2 months ago
Perhaps I worded that poorly. My point was that Missouri employers are supposed to pay the higher of the two wages, state or federal. The Missouri minimum wage is the same as the federal now, and has been for a while actually. The exemption for businesses with gross sales under $500,000 per year, allows them to pay the state's minimum wage if it happens to be lower than the federal.
bluesfan13 2 years, 2 months ago
Missouri's minimum wage WAS higher than the federal until the last raise to the federal brought it to $7.25 in July of 2009.
Republicans (in that reference) said small businesses PROFITED $250,000. The Missouri minimum wage is effective on all businesses who have gross reciepts or sales of $500,000 even if they only profit $50,000 for example.
The "small business" reference is not at all what most people think of when they see Small Business. We think of the family owned business. The usage mentioned above includes business with up to 100 employees and $25 million annually in gross reciepts.
blueknight 2 years, 2 months ago
Unions are not beneficial for anyone but the union itself.
Members pay the dues, but get little in return while the leaders continue to post six digit incomes.
Wake up people! If you think the unions have your best interests at heart, you are in for an awakening!
The job market is such that people are hired based on skill, experience, and education, pure and simple. You will get paid what the market will pay.
blueknight 2 years, 2 months ago
No, I believe in paying what the market says you are worth, not what a union says you are worth.
Your worth to an organization in terms of salary and benefits is directly tied to education, experience, and skills, plain and simple.
bluesfan13 2 years, 2 months ago
I'd really have to agree with this. For the most part, attempts to bring minimum wage to "living wage" levels are just welfare paid for by businesses (and consumers) rather than obvious government handouts through taxation.
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
I could not of said that any better. Right on Point Blue!
carolyn 2 years, 2 months ago
The first sentence of my earlier post was so poorly worded I wish I could remove it! lol It didn't say at all what I meant. I had better leave well enough alone.
bluesfan13 2 years, 2 months ago
I agree. Unions have no real place in public employment. State employee working conditions and pay rates are at the mercy of the public, and their elected officials. A union should have no rights to lobby or coerce wages that our legislature hasn't previously appropriated.
Esssentially, Unions in public employment bypass our legislative budget process. On the other hand, I do believe that Unions still can and do have their place in private employment. Many unions act as job placement services in putting their members back to work, and enable members from many different employers to keep the same retirement and healthcare benefits.
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
Tree you are right, an 8-hour day is codified into law now. OSHA takes care of the brutal working conditions, EPA takes care of the pollution, soil, water, air that employees breath. The NLRB takes care of Labor. Yeah Unions help accomplish these things and that was good. Now we see Most Unions foisting Dues from members without their consent and using those dues to funding 99% Democratic Candidates, just a fact! Then, you talked about workers losing pensions, well Those dues where supposed to fund those members pensions, then check some facts and see how underfunded Union pension plans are and then when they can't pay their obligations? Yeah you guessed it the general public picks up the Tab the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which is basically a pension-insurance fund run by the federal government, to receive tax dollars to bail out so-called orphan pensions -- pensions for which employers have ceased making contributions, usually for reasons of insolvency."
bluesfan13 2 years, 2 months ago
If Democrats got that much power and a President to go along with it (to pass Obamacare), it would be obvoius to everyone that that is what the voting public wants.
See how that works?
bluesfan13 2 years, 2 months ago
And you think that people want OSHA to be dismantled? Each party does what's in the best interests of their contributors, NOT their constituents.
You say that competition keeps businesses honest. Why did we need unions or OSHA, or the NRC, or FDIC, or any number of agencies to begin with then?
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
"And while you are at it you might want to consider elimination of the FDIC and FSLIC "
Of course no one wants to do away with these two agencies. As far as EPA, OSHA, FLRB goes....when rules continue to be written that hurt business and do not go through the legislative process they need to be reined in. If that means defunding emplementation of certain rules so be it! Does anyone really want un-elected bureaucrats writing rules? I did not like it when Pelosi rammed through spending bills with "Closed Rules" meaning no amendments and closed door hearings on crafting of bills without allowing the Republicans even in the committee room. Did republicans pout and scream and pack up their toys and go home NO! Republicans followed the rules and did their jobs and voted and lost.
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