Right-To-Work Top Priority For New Legilative Session

Legislators talk right-to-work at Columbia Chamber of Commerce event

By Megan Favignano-Columbia Daily Tribune

Amidst the unveiling of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s legislative priorities this week, Boone County legislators pushed some of their own priorities, which included right-to-work.

While right-to-work is not on the chamber’s priorities list, it is on the list for the General Assembly.

Republican Gov.-elect Eric Greitens, unlike Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon, supports right-to-work, and state Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, told chamber members Thursday that the Missouri House of Representatives soon will discuss right-to-work legislation.

“Right-to-work is going to be quick, it’s going to hit really fast, more than likely this month in January,” Basye told chamber members. “That’s something I campaigned on. … I’ll vote for it again. It’s key to economic development in Missouri.”

Right-to-work, supporters argue, will help bring major corporations to the state while giving workers the freedom from paying union dues.

Opponents to right-to-work argue the legislation will hurt the middle class, weaken unions’ power to bargain and have a negative impact on wages. Basye said right-to-work legislation often is misrepresented.

“It is not an anti-union bill,” Basye said. “It just gives an individual the ability to work at a place of employment without being forced to join the labor organization that they don’t agree with.”

Jerry Dowell, director of government affairs for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber discussed a plethora of issues when selecting its top priorities for 2017. Right-to-work did not make the list but Dowell said that does not mean the chamber thought it was unimportant.

“The committee felt they wanted and needed to keep our agenda more focused on items that directly impact Columbia and Boone County and the Mid-Missouri area,” Dowell said. “As the legislative process moves forward, it may be something the chamber considers taking an outward position on.”

State Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch, R-Hallsville, told chamber members her campaign focused on jobs and she also supported right-to-work.

“We need to bring jobs to Missouri,” Reisch said.