Encouraging Investment in Missouri
One of the Legislature’s top priorities this year is job creation and retention. For a thriving economy, we must have jobs that provide a competitive edge and help keep our money and our jobs in Missouri.
This year, I’m sponsoring Senate Bill 19, which would designate Missouri as the 28th state to pass a Right-To-Work bill. The legislation simply states that employers may no longer require workers to join or participate in a labor union as a condition of employment.
Studies show that Right-to-Work states have higher levels of economic growth, increased jobs and wages, and attract more new businesses. Missouri has been losing jobs and citizens to neighboring states, seven out of eight of which have already passed Right-to-Work laws.
Because Missouri doesn’t have Right-to-Work, we saw many job cuts in our area caused by the closings of the Solo cup plant and the Regal Beloit small motor plant in Springfield, the latter moving its operations to the Right-to-Work state of Texas.
Some think that Right-To-Work will dissolve unions; it does not. In fact, Right-To-Work states hold the unions more accountable by making them work harder to represent the interests of the workers.
Under SB19, no one will be forced to join a union in order to get a job, but they will have the freedom to do so if they feel that a labor union works best for them. To me, it’s a win/win situation.
Always feel free to contact me throughout the year with any comments, questions, or issues by calling my office at (573) 751-5713 or by visiting my website at www.senate.mo.gov/brown.
Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.