Our History

Mission

Consumers Council of Missouri builds on its foundation, laid in 1971, to educate consumers statewide and advocate for their collective interests through leadership and partnerships on issues such as utility rates, health care access, personal finance and others as they arise.

History

Alberta Slavin founded the consumer movement in Missouri more then 40 years ago. She and a group of women noticed that the same groceries sold in the same grocery chains had different prices in North St. Louis than they did in more affluent parts of the St. Louis area. The result was HELP, Housewives Elect Lower Prices which crowd sourced pricing data and publicized their work. This effort resulted in pricing parity and attracted national media attention.

Following that success, Alberta took on the utility companies. The phone company, Ma Bell, cut off her phone service after she attached a privately purchased phone to a jack. The phone company argued outside equipment would harm the telephone network, and damage their equipment. Alberta fought that notion and won. This victory sparked the founding of the Utility Consumers Council of MO (UCCM).

As the leader of UCCM, Alberta became the go-to person for consumer issues in Missouri. She was appointed by Gov. Teasdale as the first consumer advocate to head the Missouri Public Service Commission and later became the “On Your Side” consumer reporter for CBS, Channel 4.

The organization experienced some dormancy but in 2006 Alberta, Joyce Armstrong, Joan Bray, John Coffman, Wayne Goode, Tracy McCreery, and many others rejuvenated the Utility Council and renamed it the Consumers Council of Missouri so it could take on more consumers issues.

Consumers Council of Missouri was founded on the belief that ordinary citizens banning together could make a difference.

We are carrying on that vision.

Anyone may become a member of Consumers Council of Missouri.  To join, click here.

Consumers Council is a non-governmental, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.