Citizens’ veto could overturn legislation
Jefferson City – As Missouri Governor Eric Greitens was signing Senate Bill 19 into law, making Missouri the 28th “right-to-work” state, a petition seeking the referral of the legislation to Missouri voters was filed Monday with the Missouri Secretary of State.
The petition was filed by Missouri AFL-CIO President Mike Louis and Missouri NAACP President Rod Chapel.
According to Missouri’s Constitution, legislation passed by the Missouri General Assembly must be referred to voters if five percent of voters from two-thirds of Missouri’s congressional districts order it, creating a citizens’ veto.
“In today’s economy, employers and their employees need to work together to create and keep good paying jobs,” Louis said. “This referendum stops corrupt politicians and the corporate special interests from trying to micro-manage the private sector and interfere with contracts negotiated between employees and employers.”
As approved by the Missouri General Assembly, Senate Bill 19 creates a misdemeanor for employers who negotiate a union shop provision in contracts with their unions.
Acting out the wishes of his out-of-touch corporate CEOs, Gov. Eric Greitens signed the “right-to-work” Senate Bill 19 on Monday.
“Gov. Greitens is putting Missouri on the same dangerous path of job loss, lower wages and more dangerous work places as Oklahoma and other states that have adopted these anti-working families laws,” Louis said. “This referendum will guarantee that employers in Missouri can decide for themselves how to run their businesses and reach agreements with their employees without government intervention.”
Merri Berry, political director for the Missouri AFL-CIO, said petitioners have until Aug. 27 — the day before the “right-to-work” measure is scheduled to go into effect — to collect some 140,000 signatures of registered voters to place the law on the ballot. If the petition drive succeeds, “right-to-work” won’t take effect until Missourians get the chance to have their say in 2018.
According to research complied by the Missouri Legislative Academy, citizens have rejected the legislature’s actions 24 of 26 times via Referral Referendums. The only two times the citizens did not overturn the legislature were both in the 1920’s.
Missouri voters solidly rejected “right-to-work” in a statewide vote in 1978.
David Cook, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 predicted they will do so again.
“I am absolutely confident with everything I’ve seen in the polls that when Missouri voters have a chance to vote on this issue they are going to overturn this government overreach and defeat ‘right-to-work,’ just as they did in 1978,” Cook said. “Missouri voters have no desire for government overreach to take us backward on wages and working conditions to benefit an elite few.”
(Read more in the Thursday, Feb. 9, print edition of the Labor Tribune.)
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Right to work is unfair in every way possible
The government has no business telling owners how to run their business. They have too much control over most things now. They should not be telling employers and/or employees what is best for them.
INTERESTED ON GETTING ON LIST NEED UNIONS
Where do we sign and while we are at it I think we should try to impeach this new governor but one thing at a time I guess I do want to sign just don’t know where
If you are willing to help fight “right-to-work” for less by volunteering to help sign petitions please send an email to nortw@ufcw655.org with your name and phone number.
Interested in signing petition . I am a retired Laborer
I was a concrete contractor who would have never made the living I did without unions. I will fight to keep the unions till I am no longer
We the workers should have the right to vote on it and turn it down
we should have the right to vote against the right to work and make it so they can’t ever pass right to work in this state
RTW is wrong for MO
I will sign a petition. As a retired UAW member, right to work is WRONG for Missouri!!
BRING IT TO A VOTE
please send link to sign petition
I will sign
Where can I sign the petetion for the referral referendum for Right to Work
Complacency got us where we are at today. It takes the kind of effort we now our putting into this issue . We have to work for these issues as our predecessors did . It takes a village !
Right to work is wrong in every way possible. It makes lower wages and worse benefits. Missouri needs it’s Unions to ensure our families continue to thrive instead of being in poverty as many of the other states who adopted this disaster of a bill.
Husband and I would sign petition and help gather signatures.
Our votes matter! Do what is right for Missouri & listen to “your” community, your state, your hard working families! Stop turning a blind eye & deaf ear! Do the right thing! NOW is the time!
Need signing stations!!
Places where we can volunteer to hold signs and get petitions signed!!
Lots of union guys don’t do the internet!!