Politics

St. Louis NAACP Teams Up With Labor To Fight Right-To-Work Efforts

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published April 12, 2013 at 4:54 PM CDT

The St. Louis branch of the NAACP is teaming up with local labor union groups to fight against efforts in Jefferson City to turn Missouri into a right-to-work state.

Chapter President Adolphus Pruitt says African-Americans are more likely to be union members than any other ethnicities in the United States, so the partnership makes sense.

“Right-to-work is a problem that exists across the country," Pruitt said. "It’s trying to rear its ugly head up here in Missouri, (and) we’re gonna find a way to fight it back.”

House Speaker Tim Jones (R, Eureka) said before the start of this year’s session that any effort to turn Missouri into a right-to-work state this year would likely fail. However, other bills related to right-to-work, namely paycheck protection and prevailing wage repeals, have moved forward this year. Pruitt says such bills have the ability to chip away at employment protections in Missouri.

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.