JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — For several years now, conservative Republicans in the Missouri House of Representatives have longed to score a victory by passing “right-to-work” legislation and sending it on to the Senate.
House Speaker John Diehl, left, with former Speaker Tim Jones last year.
After an unsuccessful attempt led last year by House Speaker Tim Jones, his successor, Rep. John Diehl, took steps to do just that.
On Wednesday, lawmakers gave first-round approval to two right-to-work bills, including one sponsored by a Democrat that would apply solely to construction workers. Right-to-work laws, like those that exist in most of Missouri’s neighboring states, bar unions from collecting representation fees or dues from nonmembers who are working in majority-union workplaces.
Speaking during Wednesday’s debate, Rep. Bill Lant, a Republican who chairs a House committee focused on labor bills, said the policy was about luring manufacturing jobs back to Missouri.
“Carthage used to have heavy industry,” he said. “Almost all of that has disappeared. Most of those companies moved to Northwest Arkansas, taking the employees with them.”
Most Democrats, traditionally allies of labor unions in Jefferson City, spoke against the bill.
“It will have one impact,” said Rep. Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City. “Taking away the rights of workers to bargain.”
Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin, said the right to organize is not one given to organizations but to the individual.
“It’s the right of the individual to join the organization, not the right of the organization to exist,” he said.
Mike Louis, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, said the bills mirrored those pushed by corporate interests like the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative policy shop based in Washington, D.C.
“Extremists pushed the bills through initial approval despite strong bipartisan opposition,” he said, pointing to more than 20 Republicans who voted against the bill. “We are grateful to the many Republicans and Democrats who are committed to stand up against special interest groups and oppose right-to-work legislation.”
The vote on the Republican-backed bill, which received first-round approval with 92 votes (10 more than the minimum needed to pass) came just hours after lawmakers considered a more specific bill applying right-to-work only to the construction trades.
“This will starve them of the resources they need to pay the handsome salaries they have and force them to provide services to their members,” said Rep. Courtney Curtis, D-Berkeley, said of the bill’s effect on union leaders.
Curtis, who represents part of Ferguson, said he is sponsoring the bill because of his concern that African-Americans and minorities like him are under-represented by construction unions. He said the unions discriminate against blacks, particularly in apprenticeships, which are necessary before they can receive many contracts.
During the debate, Republicans mostly sat quietly, instead letting Curtis defend the policy while other Democrats and, more specifically, many of the body’s African-American leaders, led the opposition.
“How is this bill going to force any organization to be inclusive?” said Rep. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat. “There’s no way to legislate equality.”
Both bills would need another vote before heading to the Missouri Senate. That could come as soon as today. In that body, Democrats have the power to stall debate.
Even if the Senate were to pass the bills, Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat who grew up in the union-dominated Jefferson County, is likely to be opposed to them.
“I haven’t seen a right-to-work bill I’d ever sign,” Nixon said. “I don’t think it would help the economy at all.”