Missouri's union-friendly Democratic Party accused of unfair labor practices

JEFFERSON CITY — The former data director for Missouri Democrats says he is in settlement negotiations with the state party after the National Labor Relations Board found merit to his unfair labor practices charge.

The charge, filed last December by Ben Conover, 29, of St. Louis, accuses Missouri Democratic Party leaders of breaking federal labor law by suspending and firing him to “discourage” protected union activities.

The NLRB’s decision to proceed with Conover’s case may represent a precedent-setting action for the board, which at least as recently as 2017 said it “has never addressed jurisdiction over political parties.”

The case is also part of a larger conflict playing out within the state party, as former employees accuse leaders of trying to sabotage a unionization effort last year even as Democrats actively courted support from organized labor.

Read more: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-s-union-friendly-democratic-party-accused-of-unfair-labor-practices/article_3c307d2e-161b-51c7-9d19-473639151c1b.html