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House passes right-to-work bill, Greitens expected to sign Friday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Union workers filled the House galleries Thursday morning only to witness one of the most devastating defeats for organized labor in Missouri history. The House passed Sen. Dan Brown’s SB 19, the right-to-work bill, with a vote of 100-59.

Gov. Eric Greitens will likely sign the bill Friday.

The day was a long time coming for most Republicans in the chamber, especially Rep. Holly Rehder, who carried the House version of the bill this year and has served as a primary champion of the labor reform movement in the House.

“It’s a huge win for Missouri. The states that have passed in the last few years have shown unemployment drop considerably, so I think this is a big deal for all Missouri families, and I’m very excited to get it to the governor’s desk. It’s not a silver bullet, but it is a tool in our toolbox now and we can move on to some other things to make Missouri even more business friendly.”

Richardson signed the bill just before the House moved onto the order of business of announcements. He commended both sides of the aisle in their deliberation on the bill.

“I’m incredibly proud of the way our caucus and frankly the Democratic caucus have worked together on this issue,” Richardson said. “It’s obviously something that stirs some deep passions on both sides, but it’s an issue we think is critical to the economic future of Missouri.”

Rehder added she was excited to see former Rep. Eric Burlison in the chamber to watch the passage of the bill. Burlison carried the 2015 version of right-to-work legislation.

“It was so exciting for me to see him up on the dais next to the speaker because he has been so passionate about this since I got here a little over four years ago and I love that he was able to be here to share in that win,” she said.

She added she wished former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder could have been in the chamber to see it pass as well.

Free market organizations like Americans for Prosperity and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry congratulated the General Assembly on finally passing the bill after years of efforts to get it through the Legislature. The chamber said in a statement that they were “anxious” to see the bill signed by Greitens.

“The Missouri Chamber has worked for decades to bring this freedom to Missouri workers and this economic development tool to our state,” Missouri Chamber President and CEO Dan Mehan said in a statement. “It is exciting to finally be this close to making it law in Missouri. We applaud lawmakers for their commitment to protecting Missouri jobs and Missouri families. It’s a fact, right-to-work laws grow jobs and increase opportunities and economic growth.”

“It’s a funeral, it’s a wake”

Bob Burns debates right-to-work Feb. 2, 2017 (Courtesy of Tim Bommel)
Bob Burns debates right-to-work Feb. 2, 2017 (Courtesy of Tim Bommel)

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Doug Beck and Rep. Bob Burns both welcomed the union members as “brothers and sisters” to widespread applause before the debate.

“I try not to take this personally… but it’s hard when you get up each day when you provide a better life for your family and you see one billionaire funding the effort to reduce paychecks, health care, pensions and workers’ rights for working families across Missouri,” Beck, D-St. Louis, said when introducing his referendum amendment, which failed just as it did with the House bill. Beck, who has quickly become one of the most vocal opponents of Republican labor reform, wore a black tie to mark the occasion as something of a funeral for labor rights.

Burns, D-St. Louis, said some parts of the state looked “like Appalachia or worse,” referring to one of the most destitute regions of the nation. He added representatives from those areas should look away from right-to-work from prosperity.

“If they think this law is going to bring economic development to where they live – that’s not going to happen,” Burns said. “This law is intrusive, it’s being paid for by one billionaire in Joplin.”

Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, spoke for the Republicans who voted against the measure. He said he would continue to represent his district in voting no, he said since the bill would become law, the General Assembly could not see the right-to-work bill as the only thing necessary for economic development.

A union member holds a sign in the Capitol Rotunda protesting Sen. Dan Brown's right-to-work bill. (Ben Peters/The Missouri Times)
A union member holds a sign in the Capitol Rotunda protesting Sen. Dan Brown’s right-to-work bill. (Ben Peters/The Missouri Times)

“I appreciate the union members coming here today, but we are going to lose this vote. We’re going to lose this vote today, I would hope we turn it into economic development,” he said.

“There are 27 other states that have right-to-work. If we don’t sharpen our tools, we’re not going to outperform those states. All we’ll do is lower our wage rates. We have to use this.”

The hundreds who gathered in the galleries and the Capitol rotunda, however, could not see much reason for optimism. Jim Thruston said he raised a family in Jefferson City and sent two daughters to college on a union wage earning job he’s held for 35 years.

“I was not a product of public support, we made a good living, we weren’t rich, but we made a decent middle wage,” he said. “I support the community. This is what union wages do for middle-class people. To go in and want to break that up and destroy it, all you’re looking at is profiteering for billionaires.”

A matter of race

Toward the end of the discussion, much of the discussion revolved around racism within unions, spurred by Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis. Curtis has experienced a level of notoriety on the left for his support of right-to-work and his willingness to take campaign contributions from David Humphreys.

Curtis said he did not support unionization because he believes they negatively impact minorities and especially African-Americans.

He was rebuked by most black Democrats, but not on principle. Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-St. Louis, said while he did see some level of racism inherent in unions, he also saw the need to support workers in his area that were union members. Rep. Bruce Franks, D-St. Louis, added his own experience growing up with a father who served as a teamster.

“We learned about what unions did and how they fought for a lot of the things we seek in the workforce,” Franks said while still admitting there are racial issues in organized labor. “I’ll continue to fight for unions but I need unions to fight for those that look like me.”

Rep. Karla May sits on the executive board of the St. Louis Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and said that while there have historically been problems between labor and trade unions and the African-American community, it paled to the progress the two groups had made.

“I’ve sat at the table. I’m not saying we’re where we should be, but we’re definitely further along that where we used to be,” she said.