click the photo above to go to our application sign up!
Missouri state workers are the backbone of the public services that millions of Missourians rely on every day. From healthcare professionals and social service staff to maintenance crews, corrections officers, administrative employees, and frontline support workers, state employees keep Missouri functioning. Our union represents more than 4,000 dedicated public workers across the state who provide essential services to our communities, often under difficult conditions and with limited resources.
This year marks a historic moment for Missouri state workers as we enter negotiations for a new union contract for the first time in over ten years. After a decade without bargaining, workers are standing together to fight for fair wages, improved working conditions, stronger workplace protections, and the respect that public servants deserve. These negotiations are about more than a contract — they are about recognizing the value of the workers who serve Missouri every single day and ensuring the state can recruit and retain a strong workforce for the future.
Missouri State Workers Bargaining Report #3
The CWA-MSWU bargaining team continued negotiations with the State of Missouri to negotiate a new labor agreement covering public workers in the Departments of Social Services, Health & Senior Services and Office of administration. The ability to negotiate wage increases is solely up to the legislature but one of our main priorities is to create a forum that allows the Union to meet and confer with the State to propose pay plan recommendations that was eliminated when the legislature eliminated the Personnel Advisory Board. The State continues to rank near the bottom in wage rates for state workers and it will take a disciplined plan of action that includes a strong presence of members lobbying the legislature for pay raises, a forum for the Union to make pay plan recommendations to the State and an increase in Union membership. The Union has made significant progress at the bargaining table to create a new forum that allows the voice of our members to be engaged in pay plan recommendations. The State has proposed numerous changes to the labor agreement eliminating language that has changed due to different policy changes or by action of the legislature. The Union understands the need for flexibility but that also requires the ability to meet and confer in the event there are negative impacts on the members. The bargaining committees engaged in meaningful discussions to work towards finding the middle ground that offers flexibility and protection for the members.
Lastly our remaining discussions focused on work-life balance issues related to flexibility in scheduling fieldwork, work from home options for office workers, management of compensatory time, performance issues impact on longevity raises, operational changes and staffing levels. The Union has made progress at the table to improve flexibility when scheduling fieldwork but offering work from home options has been difficult. The bargaining committees spent a lot of time discussing the impact of performance issues as it is connected to the longevity pay. The current policy is vague, and we are looking to set parameters on what type of performance issues could impact longevity pay, meaning could a performance improvement plan have an effect or does the performance issue need to raise to a level of discipline.
Your bargaining committee will provide more information once the State responds to our proposals and we schedule our next bargaining session. What can you do to help? Participate in workplace mobilization actions by wearing red, display support sign in your cubicle or sign a membership card.