JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Missouri voters went to the polls Tuesday and decided against making Missouri a right-to-work state.
The ballot initiative, dubbed Proposition A, would have outlawed mandatory union dues in workplace contracts.
Supporters of Prop A said the law would give non-union employees the right to decide whether or not to pay such fees and, ultimately, make Missouri more attractive in drawing business to the state.
Opponents of right-to-work believe the law would weaken unions’ bargaining power and result in wider wealth gaps between businesses and their employees.
Former Governor Eric Greitens signed a right-to-work law in February 2017, making Missouri the 28th right-to-work state. However, labor organizations obtained the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to force a public referendum on the legislation.
