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The state senate makes no decision on the divisive issue of Right to Work. It won’t be back for more debate until next month.
Democrats are solidly against it. Majority Republicans are split even to the point that the floor leader opposes it and the President Pro tem is one of its biggest advocates. [Read more...]
The state senate leadership expects to discuss right to work legislation before spring break but the leaders are not saying there will be a vote on it—because of uncertainty among the majority Republicans.
It’s Senate President Pro tem Rob Mayer’s big issue. He’s gotten it through a committee but now he has to play a numbers game, trying to get 18 of the 34 senators to vote for the bill that is being handled by Senator LuAnn Ridgeway of Smithville. Getting enough members of his own caucus to sign on to pass the bill is one thing. He’ll need unanimous support of his caucus to override an expected governor’s veto—if he can get Ridgeway’s bill passed to begin with. [Read more...]
The battle about turning Missouri into a right to work state has begun at the capitol. But Governor Nixon already has sent out a veto threat.
Majority Republicans have been laying the groundwork for a year or more. Now they’ve unveiled their proposal in a Senate committee with a bill sponsored by LuAnn Ridgeway of Smithbville who argues jobs are going to right to work states, epecially manufacturing jobs. [Read more...]
Labor union leaders speak out against making Missouri a Right to Work State, saying it wouldn’t create jobs or increase revenue.
Blue states are Right to Work. White states are union. (Map from Wikipedia.)
Voters said “no” to making Missouri a Right to Work state in 1978. Labor union leaders admit there are fewer union employees in the state casting votes now, and their numbers are down from 33 years ago. However, they say that makes it even more suspect that some Senate leaders are pushing the proposal instead of putting it to a vote of the people.
Representatives from Steelworkers, Plumbers and Pipefitters, Service Employers and the AFL-CIO say Right to Work states that are showing job growth are also offering huge incentives to corporations to locate there.
The Missouri AFL-CIO says Missourians are looking for action by the legislature on one issue — jobs. And the labor organization says it will work with business groups to get Missourians back to work.
“While there are many dedicated elected officials that have pledged to work cooperatively to get Missouri back to work, there are a few trying to take advantage of a deserate jobs situation,” AFL-CIO leaders say. “When Missouri business groups, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce introduced their priorities for this session, they talked about their vision for a pro-business agenda, and their agenda did nto include wholesale attacks on workers and their right to collectively bargain.”
Missouri AFL-CIO Secretary and Treasurer Herb Johnson says his organization wants to work with business to get more money into the hands of the working men and women of our state, and helping the Chamber of Commerce advance its legislative agenda would do that.
