Missouri governor shuts down Right to Work in ‘Show-Me’ state

In a move backed by labor supporters around the country, especially in Ohio, the governor of Missouri took action, for now sparing a prominent Right to Work battleground state from succumbing to the divisive legislation.

Following through with expectations, Gov. Jay Nixon (D-Missouri) officially vetoed his state’s latest Right to Work bill earlier this month.

“This extreme measure would take our state backward, squeeze its middle-class, lower wages for Missouri families and subject businesses to criminal and unlimited civil liability,” Nixon said in a statement following the veto. “Right to Work is wrong for Missouri, it’s wrong for the middle-class and it must never become the law of the Show-Me State.”

In light of the developments in Missouri, labor supporters around the country are praising the governor’s stand against the controversial legislation.

“Gov. Nixon has taken a stand and made the right decision for workers in his state,” says Richard Dalton, Ohio’s International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18’s business manager. “He is absolutely correct about the dangers of Right to Work legislation and it shouldn’t have a place in any state that values worker rights and the middle-class.”

Gov. Nixon also vowed to spend the time between now and the end of the fall session ensuring that he has the support needed to sustain his veto.

Dalton, a veteran of Ohio’s Right to Work battle, believes that this type of support is what is ultimately needed to defeat Right to Work once and for all.

“Union supporters need to let their voices be heard,” said Dalton. “We need to let our state representatives know that we understand how dangerous this legislation can be and we won’t stand for it.”

Opponents of the recent Ohio Right to Work effort, including the “Workplace Freedom” bills, contend that the initiative’s true purpose is to kill unions and worker protections, ultimately leading to a weaker middle class.

By stripping workers of their rights and freedoms, business owners would be free to lower worker pay, reduce worker benefits and ignore worker rights.

Whether Republicans call it “Paycheck Protection,” “Workplace Freedom” or Right to Work, opponents of the efforts remain dedicated to ensuring the voting public knows the truth about the GOP’s divisive agenda.