Governor Jay Nixon vetoes Missouri Right to Work legislation
Alongside union members at United Auto Workers Local 249 in Claycomo, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon announced he would veto the so-called “Right to Work” legislation passed by the Missouri legislature.
“Right to Work” legislation allows union members to opt-out of paying dues while still receiving the benefits of collective bargaining and union solidarity. While supporters of “Right to Work” claim that the law benefits workers, the truth is that the law is nothing more than a tactic to undermine the power of the union by preventing it from collecting the resources it needs to organize. This hurts workers. In fact, on average “Right to Work” states pay their workers lower wages and have seen no meaningful increase in economic activity.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work.’ Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone.”