Key Missouri lawmaker plans to file so-called ‘right-to-work’ legislation in January

State Rep. Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston), chairman of the House Select Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations, says she plans to file so-called “right-to-work” legislation in January.

If Attorney General Chris Koster (D) wins the Governor’s race, Rehder told the Missouri Times, she will try to bypass Koster and have the measure placed on the statewide ballot.

That scenario will depend greatly on whether worker-friendly candidates are elected to the Missouri House and Senate on Nov. 8.

Koster has vowed to veto “right-to-work” if he is elected and the legislature passes it.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens supports “right-to-work” and has vowed to sign it.

So-called “right-to-work” would prohibit unions from negotiating contracts requiring employees of unionized businesses to pay union dues or fair share fees.

Koster says states that have passed “right-to-work” have lower wages, fewer benefits and more dangerous workplaces. He notes they also, on average, have seen smaller median income growth than Missouri.

“Republicans want to bring in ‘right-to-work,’” Koster said in a recent campaign video. “It’s about one thing in this state. It’s about reducing the wages of certain Missourians.

“There are a lot of ways we can make Missouri’s economy stronger,” Koster said. “We can invest in public education, make sure that we have a workforce that is prepared to move forward in the 21^st Century. We can make sure that our government is small and frictionless and our taxes are low and our credit rating is strong.

“We can move forward together without ‘right-to-work,’ without reducing the wages of certain Missourians in order to benefit some other Missourians,” he said. “That’s not the kind of state I want to lead. I want to lead a state where all Missourians go forward together. We don’t advantage some by taking advantage of others.”