Wednesday, March 11, 2015

CALL 866-338-5720 and Demand that Senator Blunt and McCaskill VOTE AYE for Loretta Lynch

FINAL SENATE VOTE ON U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE LORETTA LYNCH EXPECTED THE WEEK OF MARCH 16

On Feb. 26, 2015, the U. S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted, by a margin of 12 yeas to 8 nays, to send the nomination of Loretta Lynch to serve as the next U.S. Attorney General to the floor of the full U.S. Senate for a final vote.
A final vote by the full U.S. Senate is expected the week of March 16.

On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Loretta Lynch to replace Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General of the United States. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, we are confident that with Ms. Lynch's well-established legal reputation and demonstrated commitment to civil rights protection will lead to strong and judicious leadership to the U.S. Department of Justice. She will also make history as the first African-American woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General.

On January 29, the Senate Judiciary Committee completed two days of confirmation hearing on Ms. Lynch’s nomination. It should be noted that Ms. Lynch is no stranger to the Senate confirmation process, given that the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her to her current position as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York twice. During the hearing’s first day, Lynch pledged to “protect and defend our Constitution, to safeguard our people, and to stand as the leader and public servant that they deserve,” and answered questions on a host of issues, including immigration, voting rights, and criminal justice reform.

In her current position as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ms. Lynch has earned praise for her work fighting sex trafficking, police brutality, terrorism, and religious and racial hate crimes. In fact, throughout her 30-year career, she has distinguished herself as a tough, fair, and independent lawyer who has twice headed one of the most prominent U.S. Attorney’s offices in the country. She also traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, in 2014 as part of the U.S. official delegation before the United Nations Covenant to Eradicate Racial Discrimination. At that time, her mastery of the issues as well as her ardent support and understandings of the challenges of the U.S.'s justice system was impressive.

After a careful review of Ms. Lynch’s record and reputation, the NAACP is more convinced now more than ever that she will make a stellar and effective U.S. Attorney General.

We now must urge every US Senator to support this well-qualified nominee and to vote in favor of her confirmation when it comes before them on the floor of the US Senate.

USE THE TOLL FREE NUMBER (866) 338-5720
ON WED. AND THURS. 3/11/-3/12/2015
TO CALL YOUR SENATORS AND DEMAND AN “AYE” VOTE

Monday, March 9, 2015

Support HB 44 so women can be paid the same for equal work call Phone: 573-751-9801 or E-Mail Bill.Lant@house.mo.gov and tell him "Missouri needs best practices cause the law is not working. Pass HB 44 into law."

Women earn less than men for doing the same work. Like racial profiling, too much research has been done that has resulted in very little action. Look at any of the links and see for yourself:

Missouri see the gap - http://www.aauw.org/files/2014/09/Missouri-Pay-Gap-2014.pdf

Madelene Albright came to Missouri to talk about it - https://www.flatlandkc.org/news/luncheon-honoring-madeleine-albright-delves-status-missouri-women/

Even Obama is standing up for your Mama - http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/equal-pay#top

The Missourian - reported http://www.columbiamissourian.com/a/186123/proposed-bill-would-tackle-gender-wage-gap/

And the list goes on and on - and for the Committee on Workforce Development to here from people that they 'are not sure the gender pay gap is an issue' or that they think 'it is caused women chose not to work so they can stay at home' is just - incredible, fare fetched and like someone in the audience of the hearing whispered today "part of the problem?" Hold a hearing on it! Wait you did and a couple of members refuted the evidence taken - without having any different facts.

It's been that way for long time. That helps explain why retirement investment savings for women are much lower than they are for men nationally and within our own state.

But how can this be? It is well known that men and women are entitled to equal compensation for equal work. To pay a woman less simply because she is a woman when doing the same work as a man would be discrimination. That discrimination is specifically prohibited by the Constitution as well as state and local laws.

And every body ignores the reality – Women earn less than men when doing the same work.

Today Sen. Steven Webber – I mean Rep. Webber took a bold step in proposing legislation that would require the Department of Labor and industrial relations for the state of Missouri to develop and share with the public best practices to ensure that women aren't discriminated against by receiving lower pay than men who are in the same job and have the same qualifications.

Representative Bob Burns earned a salute as a war veteran who says he supports equal pay for equal work as an American value.

Thank you representative Burns.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce came out and said that it has not ever studied the issue of the gender pay gap and would not back the measure because they are not sure what it would do. The corollary to that statement then must be that the Missouri Chamber of Commerce doesn't care about women in the workplace – they never studied the issue but still show up to stand in opposition to a simple measure that would assist Missouri businesses and employees alike in following the Constitution and eliminating discrimination.

Discrimination is still a sin – even if you try to ignore that it's happening.

Other groups like organized labor including the AFL-CIO and many unions took time to demonstrate the power employees have when we stand together. Mike, the new president of the AFL-CIO said it best ' if there is a woman and a man working on the same jobsite in the same position – they get paid the same.' it turns out that organized labor has considered the necessity of having our constitutionally protected rights defended in such a way that it ensures employers and employees have a fair exchange.

Next time you look at yourself in the mirror, look at your mother, look at your daughter, look at your sister, or your wife and ask 'who is protecting their civil rights?' We hope the answer is you. Join the NAACP in standing up for workers rights. Join a union. Stand Up. Equal pay for equal work.

What if you couldn't sue your employer? If Representative Kevin Corlew has his way your employer can drag you into expensive arbitration and you WOULD LOOSE YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT.

Crooked employment situations need to be reviewed by the courts. Thats American. Why would anyone want to stop a person from going to court to right a wrong? Let us suggest it is not to help working people that face injuries on the job, discrimination and mistreatment or even bosses that want them to do something illegal.

In this hearing today we will tell the Missouri Legislature - NO THANK YOU to mandatory arbitration thats takes judges and juries out of the legal system and replaces them with HIRED ARBITRATORS that working people can't afford and don't know.

ATTEND THE HEARING AND TELL THEM NO THANK YOU! WE WOULD RATHER TRUST A JUDGE AND JURY THAN A PAID ARBITRATOR.

Committee:	Workforce Standards and Development
Chair:	Lant, Bill - (Rep-159)	Vice Chair:	Dohrman, Dean-(Rep-51)
Date:	Monday, March 09, 2015
Time:	12:00 PM
Location:	House Hearing Room 5
Note:
Executive session may be held on any matter referred to the committee.

Public Hearings will be conducted for the following bills:

HB 44 -- GENDER PAY EQUALITY GUIDELINES

Sponsor: Webber, Stephen (Rep-046)

Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to create best practice guidelines in gender pay equality for state and local government and private businesses

HB 928 -- ARBITRATION AGREEMENTS

Sponsor: Corlew, Kevin (Rep-014)

Changes the Uniform Arbitration Act regarding agreements between employers and at-will employees

OR CALL ANY OF THESE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND SAY - NO WAY!

Committee

Lant, Bill, Chair

Dohrman, Dean, Vice Chair