The Labor Beacon

•Each of the issues positions taken by the Lsbor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City for the Aug. 4 ballot in Missouri and Kansas won approval from voters: —The LMC opposed Missouri Constitutional Amendments 4 and 5, both of which lost by 60-percent+ margins.Amendment 4 would have severely limited citizen-led initiative petitions while Amendment 5 would have allowed the legislature to impose new and greater sales taxes in order to eliminate income taxes.

Building Leaders for the 21st Century Every organization says it wants “leadership” at all levels.Every person wants to provide leadership, whether at work, in the community or at home.Not every leadership program–in fact, not any other program—teaches leadership like the Mid-Level Leadership Training Program.

My name is Conor Eubanks, and I recently joined the Construction and General Laborers’ Local 1290 as Political Affairs Director, replacing the esteemed Mike Kane as he enters retirement. First, I want to thank Mike for all he has done in this role, and though I have big shoes to fill, I look forward to the challenge! I come to Local 1290 from Governor Laura Kelly’s office, where I served as Director of Governmental Affairs – Labor Policy.

The 29th Annual Craig Whitaker Memorial Aetna Capital Electric Construction Pipefitters Local 533 IBEW Local 124 Golf Tournament featured good weather, great networking and excellent golf at Eagles Landing Golf Club in Belton.Photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/labormanagementkc/.

The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City Board of Directors has unanimously adopted positions on the following issues to be voted on Tuesday, Aug.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Last Friday, Kansas City Shuttlewagon workers sent a letter of voluntary recognition to their employer, Shuttlewagon Mobile Railcar Movers, to unionize with the Industrial Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council (DC) 3. The union has also filed for an NLRB election, meaning that if the company declines voluntary recognition from the union, an election will be held where the workers can choose whether or not they want union representation.

NATIONAL — Field mechanics employed at PAR Electrical Contractors voted unanimously in an NLRB election to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 53 in November of 2025. The union is currently working on negotiating an agreement with PAR for its incoming members. Benjamin Bush, business manager and financial secretary of IBEW Local 53, said that Local 53 is working hard for its workers in this contract.

KANSAS — People tell you that your life changes when you have your first child. You know it will. That is why you plan. You think about schools, healthcare, college, and whether you are giving your child every opportunity you can. Jenna and I thought about all of those things. What I did not understand until my son was born was how much becoming a parent would change the way I looked at everything else. The future stops feeling far away.

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Voters in Kansas House District 10 will decide on Aug. 4 whether to nominate a new Democratic candidate or return first-term incumbent Suzanne Wikle to the ballot this fall. No Republican has filed for the seat, and political observers expect the Democratic primary to effectively determine who will represent much of eastern and southeastern Lawrence in the Kansas House beginning in 2027.

Important Note: The Labor Beacon does not and will not endorse, or donate to, candidates. Always check with your own union to see if their endorsements differ. Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council Endorsements below are those that the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council has provided to The Labor Beacon to report on and are only applicable for the primary election on August 4th, 2026.