Missouri Governor Poised to Veto Right-To-Work Bill

This week the Republican-controlled Missouri General Assembly passed a right-to-work bill – but it's not veto proof.

District 6 CWA members turned up at the Missouri statehouse to observe legislators vote on Right-to-Work laws.

On Tuesday, the Missouri Senate filibustered the bill for more than nine hours and passed it with a 21-13 vote, short of the 23 votes they would need to overturn a veto. The next day, the bill moved back to the Missouri House, which gave its approval by a 92-66 vote, falling short of the 109 votes needed to override the governor's veto.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is expected to veto the legislation soon.

"Attacking workers and weakening the middle class will not create jobs," said Nixon in a statement. "In fact, rolling back the rights of working people would weaken our economy by lowering wages and making it harder for middle class families to move up the economic ladder. This bill also takes the extreme step of subjecting Missouri employers to criminal and unlimited civil liability, which would stifle growth and discourage investment in our state. At a time when our economy is picking up steam and businesses are creating good jobs, this so-called Right-to-Work bill would take Missouri backwards."

CWA is now turning its focus to the veto session in September, where activists will be supporting labor-friendly Democrats and Republicans who have supported and continue to support union workers.