Belabored Podcast #158: A Victory for Labor in Missouri

This month Missouri voters rejected “right to work” at the ballot. Two organizers from the state join us to talk about the win and what the rest of the country can learn from their incredible success.

Members of the Plumbers' and Pipefitters' Local 562 against Prop A, Missouri's "right to work" bill (AFL-CIO / Twitter)

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On August 7th, the state of Missouri was the first to fire a volley back after the Supreme Court’s Janus ruling, with a resounding victory in a ballot initiative to defeat a so-called “right to work” bill. Voters rejected the law across the state, by a more than two-to-one margin. How did Missouri’s labor movement do it? We talk to two Missouri organizers—Jessica Podhola and Shannon Duffy—about the win, what comes next, and what the rest of the country can learn from their incredible success.

We also talk about the national prison strike going on now, agribusiness on protected lands, the scam that is work requirements for Medicaid, and a new agenda for labor law.

This week’s show was supported by our monthly sustaining members. If you think our work is worth supporting as we soldier on through Trumplandia, please consider becoming a member today.

News

Why prisoners are going on strike today (The Nation)

Major prison strike spreads across US and Canada as inmates refuse food (Guardian)

Michelle: Republicans Want to Force People to Work for Their Health Care—What Could Go Wrong? (The Nation)

Sarah: A New Framework for Labor Law: Shifting the Paradigm on Workers’ Rights (Truthout)

Michelle: Trump Quietly OK’s Bioengineered Farming on Wildlife Refuges (The Nation)

Conversation

How Missouri Beat “Right to Work” (Dissent)

Missouri Voters Overwhelmingly Reject “Right to Work” (Labor Notes)

Missouri Jobs With Justice