Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action is a left-of-center advocacy and voter mobilization organization. It is affiliated with Missouri Jobs With Justice, the state affiliate of the national Jobs With Justice left-of-center and labor-union-aligned activist coalition.
The organization is known for supporting Medicaid expansion, raising the minimum wage, and expanding unionization. It also supports government restrictions on political speech. 1 The organization is also a supporter of a proposed federal government takeover of election administration. 2
Overview
Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action is a left-of-center advocacy and voter-mobilization organization that works on issues within the state of Missouri. It is affiliated with the left-leaning organization Missouri Jobs With Justice, which is the state affiliate of the national Jobs With Justice left-of-center and labor-union-aligned activist coalition. 3
Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action works to engage and mobilize voters through voter education campaigns and candidate forums. 4 The organization also works on ballot initiatives that promote various left-leaning economic issues. 5
Issue Stances
Missouri Jobs With Justice Voter Action was one of the major members of the coalition that advocated for Missouri to expand Medicaid eligibility in 2020. The organization was the leader of a coalition that gathered 341,440 signatures to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot, and then worked to pass the ballot initiative in 2020. 6
In addition to promoting Medicaid expansion, the organization takes other left-of-center stances on economic issues. It supports an increase in Missouri’s minimum wage and increased unionization of private businesses. 7
In 2020, the organization opposed Amendment 3, which sought to remove the power to draw legislative districts from appointed bureaucrats and return it to elected legislators. Among its criticisms of the amendment, the group asserted that the amendment would dilute the power of ethnic minority voters in the state. 8
The organization also joined a petition of left-leaning national groups to call for the passage of legislation that would enable the federal government to take over election administration. 9
Leadership
Caitlyn Adams serves as the executive director. She was named to the role in January 2017. Previously, she worked as a deputy director for the organization. 10
The organization is overseen by a board that has strong labor union participation, which includes Clinton McBride of LiUNA Local 110, Jake Olson of the SEIU State Council, and Stephen Webber of the Missouri AFL-CIO. 11
Finances
According to its 2020 tax return, the organization had $664,532 in revenue and $535,346 in expenses. It had assets of $594,390. 12
In 2017, the Proteus Action League gave a grant to the organization. 13
References
- “Missouri Jwj Voter Action Hosting Statewide Legislative & Solidarity Update Webinar.” The Labor Tribune. January 26, 2020. https://labortribune.com/missouri-jwj-voter-action-hosting-statewide-legislative-solidarity-update-webinar/.
- “A Coalition of 240+ Member Organizations Working Together to Make the Promise of Democracy Real for All of Us.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/.
- “Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.” Missouri Jobs with Justice. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://mojwj.org/missouri-jobs-with-justice-voter-action/.
- Blount, Joshua. “Columbia Organizations to Host a Town Hall for City Council Candidates.” News Press Now. February 25, 2023. https://www.newspressnow.com/news/regional_news/central_missouri/columbia-organizations-to-host-a-town-hall-for-city-council-candidates/article_c1be76c6-87ac-5a55-8255-3d5f4410c8c2.html.
- “Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.” Missouri Jobs with Justice. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://mojwj.org/missouri-jobs-with-justice-voter-action/.
- “Parson Moves Missouri Medicaid Expansion to August Ballot.” The Labor Tribune. June 4, 2020. https://labortribune.com/parson-moves-missouri-medicaid-expansion-to-august-ballot/.
- Missouri Jwj Voter Action Hosting Statewide Legislative & Solidarity Update Webinar.” The Labor Tribune. January 26, 2020. https://labortribune.com/missouri-jwj-voter-action-hosting-statewide-legislative-solidarity-update-webinar/
- Clay, Cheryl, Rev. Jenn Simmons, and David Derossett. “Want Fair Elections? Vote No on Amendment 3.” Springfield News-Leader. October 28, 2020. https://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/2020/10/28/want-fair-elections-vote-no-amendment-3/3751421001/.
- “A Coalition of 240+ Member Organizations Working Together to Make the Promise of Democracy Real for All of Us.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/.
- Rowden, Tim. “Caitlyn Adams Named New Executive Director of Missouri Jobs With Justice.” The Labor Tribune. January 30, 2017. https://labortribune.com/caitlyn-adams-named-new-executive-director-of-missouri-jobs-with-justice/.
- “Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.” Missouri Jobs with Justice. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://mojwj.org/missouri-jobs-with-justice-voter-action/.
- Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/463985290.
- “Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action.” Proteus Fund. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.proteusfund.org/grant/missourijobswithjusticevoteraction/.