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‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/leopardsatemyface@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34329504

Voters approved sick leave mandate by 58%, but lawmakers are caving to lobbying by the state’s chamber of commerce

Being sick is a costly business for Bill Thompson, who worked in the fast-food industry in Independence, Missouri, for more than 30 years, and recently worked at Guitar Center until early July, when he was laid off as.

“As an older worker, I have health issues from working on my feet and with my hands for many years with no breaks for eight to 10 hours a day. I have done it for 38 years now, living paycheck to paycheck,” 54-year-old Thompson said, noting in Missouri, workers are not mandated breaks of any kind during work.

So when Republicans in Missouri repealed a paid sick leave mandate that the state’s voters approved by 58% after an aggressive lobbying campaign by the Missouri chamber of commerce and industry and other business industry groups, he said, “It was a literal gut punch.”

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[–] 12 points 1 year ago

Missouri like Texas is badly gerrymandered. If our districts were fairly drawn we'd be a solidly purple state. However unfortunately, in this insane asylum. Kansas city and St Louis are locked in with slightly more banjo playing, lead pipe sucking, inbred chuds.

We can peel off just enough voters for rational non partisan ballot measures. In 2018 we voted to change the redistricting from the 2020 census to be more fair. Which our gerrymandered representation overturned last moment. Now the sick leave. And next year they're planning to roll back the abortion rights the state voted for after they took them away before.

Democrats don't really try to win this state. The indoctrination here doesn't help them. But not trying most places doesn't help more. If a 3rd party group made a concerted effort to run local candidates a lot of places would surprise you. Like I said here in the two blue islands we pretty solidly vote for Democrats. But this and select statewide offices are all they run for. I can understand to an extent not wanting to vote for a party at the state level that has no interest in you at the local level. Yes Republicans are fascist snakes, but they show up in all the rural Podunk towns. It's not a good reason to vote for them. But I can understand why the average ignorant voter would.

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