Proposition A, a referendum that would have made it unlawful for labor unions to force employees to pay in, failed on the ballot Tuesday. That means that private-sector employees in Missouri can still be required to pay what are known as “fair share” union fees as a condition of keeping their job.
Missouri was the first state to vote on a so-called right-to-work law since the Supreme Court ruled last month that unions can no longer force government employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment.
The Republican-led legislature in the state enacted a right-to-work law in 2017; however, the law never took effect as unions had enough petition signatures to force a referendum. Proposition A was the unions’ way of giving voters in Missouri the opportunity to veto the measure.
Right-to-work laws have become more of a partisan issue recently, as labor unions usually support Democratic candidates and unions have even exhibited influence over lawmakers in states where they are stronger, like California, the Associated Press reported.
Unions across the country become involved in the controversial Missouri vote. A labor group even spent over $15 million against Proposition A, which outspent supporters of the referendum by more than 3-1.
