Have you heard about Project 2025, the governing blueprint written by top advisors to Donald Trump and promoted by his spokesperson and campaign? Many of these plans would be horrible for working families and labor unions.
For example, Project 2025 would make it illegal for unions to represent many federal employees and would throw out their contracts. This would hurt one million federal employees across the country and could lead to attacks on state employees in Missouri.
Unions representing Missouri state employees include AFSCME, CWA, SEIU, and the Missouri Correctional Officers Association, along with thousands of educators represented by the NEA and AFT.
If Project 2025 makes it illegal for unions to represent federal employees, we know that state and local employees will be their next target.
Attacking public sector unions has long been a top priority for Missouri Republicans. For years they pushed, and even passed, a Paycheck Deception Law that weakens workers’ ability to collectively bargain. Thankfully, we beat this law in court – but as we’ve seen lately, Trump-appointed judges have been overturning rulings that we all thought were safe. This means that if Project 2025 candidates are successful in November, attacks on public sector unions will continue.
Representative Robert E. Sauls, a Democrat, represents the eastern part of Independence in Jackson County (District 21) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2018.
Prior to his legislative duties, Sauls was a Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney and a public defender. He also served as an assistant staff judge advocate in the United States Air Force.
Sauls graduated from William Chrisman High School in 1998. He received a bachelor’s degree in International Business from William Jewell College in 2002 and a juris doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008.
Born in Independence, Sauls is a fourth generation resident and currently resides there with his son, Jackson.
