Missouri needs strong families and legislators who focus on the needs of our communities instead of the demands of out-of-state special interests

To improve Missouri, we must invest in our families, and we need good jobs for that. Right-to-work laws don’t create them. In fact right-to-work states have a higher percentage of low-wage jobs resulting in working families earning an average of $4,613 less a year.

If right-to-work passes, the wage cuts that follow will leave families with less to spend and that will devastate our communities and businesses alike. The inevitable reduction in state revenues also means less money for economic development, education and everything else.

The Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis recently came out in opposition to right-to-work because our faith communities understand the importance of strong families. Focusing on creating good jobs that allow families to support as well as properly raise our children is the best way to improve our neighborhoods. Soccer teams need coaches, schools need active parents and local charities need donations of time and money.

When working people have to spend every waking hour on multiple low-wage jobs just to survive they have nothing left to give and we all suffer as a result.

Missouri needs strong families and legislators who focus on the needs of our communities instead of the demands of out-of-state special interests who won’t feel the negative impact right-to-work will bring us all.

Tara L. McMahon

Fenton

(Editor’s Note: Tara McMahon is the wife of IBEW Local 1 member Joe McMahon and the daughter of Elevator Constructors Local 3 Past President Roy Schumaker.)

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