The Missouri House voted 100-59 Wednesday to become the 28th state to adopt a right-to-work law prohibiting workers from being required to support a union as a condition of employment. The legislation will now move to the desk of Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, who campaigned on passing the legislation.
The measure passed the state senate on a 21-12 vote last week. The law will grandfather in existing union-management contracts that force workers to either become union members or pay it a regular fee, provisions dubbed “security clauses” by unions. But all new union contracts will forbid this practice.
There was little suspense in the vote. The Missouri statehouse had passed an identical bill in 2015 but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat.
Missouri is the sixth state in less than five years to adopt such a law, following Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Kentucky. Advocates say the laws are necessary for their states’ economies, arguing they help to attract businesses. Seven of the eight states that border Missouri have right-to-work laws.
Labor leaders hate the laws, which are associated with declining membership and depleted treasuries as workers opt out of union membership. They argue the unions have a right to demand payment from non-members because they benefit from collective bargaining as well.
