Right to work in Missouri vetoed
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a measure Thursday that would have made Missouri the 26th right- to- work state.
The governor, a longtime opponent of the effort, traveled to the Kansas City area to announce the veto among about 200 local United Auto Workers union members near a Ford assembly plant. The bill would have barred workplace contracts that require all employees to pay union fees.
“This extreme measure would take our state backward, squeeze the middle- class, lower wages for Missouri families, and subject businesses to criminal and unlimited civil liability,” Nixon said in a statement. “Right to work is wrong for Missouri, it’s wrong for the middle- class and it must never become the law of the ShowMe State.”
The legislation also would make anyone “who directly or indirectly violates” its provisions subject to misdemeanor charges punishable by up to 15 days in jail and a fine of up to $ 300. Civil lawsuits also could be filed against anyone who violates, or threatens to violate, the bill’s ban on mandatory union fees in workplaces.
Supporters said the legislation would boost economic growth and attract businesses that may otherwise expand in nearby right- to- work states.
“Missouri is at an economic disadvantage that must be reversed,” Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said in a statement. “Missouri has a well- trained workforce and great resources, but we have been told time and again by site- selection consultants that companies pass over non-righttowork states, no matter their qualifications.”
Others tout the measure as a matter of fairness for workers who can be forced to pay fees even if they don’t want to join a union.
Critics argued the legislation would weaken unions by creating a free- rider system and could lead to lower wages.
This year marks the first that Missouri legislators were able to foster enough support to send a bill to the governor, and it came at a cost. The Missouri Legislature effectively shut down the last week of session after some GOP senators forced a vote on the measure, and Democrats in response filibustered for days. Only one other bill was passed in the Senate.
Even with a record number of Republicans in the Missouri House and a near record in the Senate, the bill’s original passage still fell short of the twoscreens thirds majority vote that would be needed in both chambers to overturn Nixon’s veto.
State Rep. Eric Burlison, the Republican bill sponsor, said in a statement that he’s “optimistic” fellow representatives will join him in an attempt to override the veto.
But state House Minority Leader Jake Hummel said Democrats are “confident” such efforts would fail.