An attempt to stop Missouri’s upcoming referendum vote on a recent Right to Work bill has been blocked by the state’s Supreme Court. Right to Work advocates challenged the labor victory and argued the petition tricked voters, making them unknowingly support overturning the existing law.
“We will fight to make sure voters who were tricked are not misled at the ballot box,” said Ed Greim, leader of the legal team attempting to stop the referendum. Greim also announced future plans to challenge most of the signatures gathered, believing citizens didn’t understand the ramifications of their decision.
Missouri has been a legislative battleground since Governor Eric Greitens signed the Right to Work bill into law in early 2017. Within hours, critics and pro-union groups filed for a referendum.
Referendums are a seldom used tactic to recall existing laws and leave their fate up to voters. To have the vote, sponsors of the referendum must have a petition which shows significant public concern in changing the law. For Missouri, this required about 90,000 signatures.
When the August 18th deadline came, the petition had over 300,000 signatures.
“Time and time again the courts have been on our side, but for unions to win they must remain vigilant,” said Richard Dalton, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18 in Ohio. “The closer it gets to November 2018, the more desperate Right to Work’s supporters will become.”
This is the latest in a series of attempts by supporters to block the vote, but not the first time the petition’s language has been challenged in court. In July, a court decision claimed the language was inaccurate; however, it was later overturned.
Right to Work is a combination of laws which primarily impact the worker-union relationship. In states that have signed them into place, workers are not required to join a union or pay dues, but still receive the same benefits as paying union members.
The theory is that workers still receive critical benefits while business owners save money typically spent on union bargaining. Investments back into the business will help jobs grow and provide higher wages at a cheaper labor cost.
In practice, Right to Work has the opposite effect. Studies show states with Right to Work offer lower priced goods and services, but employees work longer hours for less pay. Unions crumble without financial backing and business owners are given free reign. Management gets a pay raise while workers suffer.
“Those who support Right to Work either don’t know the facts or stand to profit from them,” said Dalton. “Despite the opposition, the people have made their voices heard and will settle the matter in November 2018.”
For more information on Right to Work in Ohio, visit: http://protectohiosmiddleclass.org
SOURCE: Keep Ohio's Heritage
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