This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 9, 2011 - Missouri AFL-CIO president Hugh McVey has sent out a veiled message to the Republican leaders in the General Assembly to reconsider any sort of push for right to work legislation, in the wake of Tuesday's vote in Ohio that overturned a recent law removing bargaining rights for public employees.
Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, has said for more than a year that he would like legislators to pass legislation making Missouri a right-to-work state, which would make union membership voluntary, even if workers at a business have voted for union representation.
As it stands now, Missouri allows closed-union shops -- which means all workers must pay dues if a majority have voted for representation.
McVey wrote in his post-election statement that the Ohio vote "should be a wake-up call for elected officials like Senate Pro Tem Rob Mayer about what happens when politicians go too far."
"Voters in Missouri want to see action that creates jobs and creates an economy that works for everyone," McVey said. "We can start heading in the right direction by passing legislation like a federal jobs bills that will repair deficient bridges and roads and get Missourians back to work.
"Our elected officials need to focus on creating jobs in order to get our economy back on track. Together we can create an economy that works for the 99 percent."