Mo. House gives final approval to 'right-to-work' bill

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House approved a full 'right-to-work' measure Thursday that would bar unions statewide from collecting fees from non-members.

The Senate will now have a chance to consider the legislation, but it's unclear whether it will pass in that chamber.

The House gave final approval to the measure by a vote of 91-64, with two lawmakers present who didn't vote. It marks a victory for Republican supporters after the measure failed to gain the needed constitutional majority last session and was dropped by Republican leaders.

The arguments over right-to-work legislation center on economic impacts and issues of fairness. Supporters say it will make the state more competitive in attracting businesses, while opponents say it will lower wages and weaken the middle class.

"Right-to-work is one of the best tools that we have to make sure Missouri remains economically competitive with our neighbors," said Jay Atkins, the top lobbyist for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Except for Illinois and Kentucky, all of the other states that border Missouri have right-to-work laws. Illinois' new Republican governor, Bruce Rauner, has said he wants to allow counties or cities to opt for right-to-work, and some counties in western Kentucky have voted to make it illegal for employers to require their workers to join a labor union.

Right-to-work bars unions from collecting fees from non-members when the labor group has negotiated with an employer for such provisions. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled workers cannot be forced to pay membership dues but the union is entitled to collect fees for services such as negotiating the contract covering members and non-members.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, who has sponsored right-to-work measures for years, said it's unfair for workers who don't agree with the union to have to support them. But Mike Louis, Missouri AFL-CIO president, said if the measure passed it would mean unions have to represent workers who do not contribute anything. He said there are plenty of Republicans who support unions.

The measure is still short of the 109 votes needed to override an anticipated veto by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. The chances of the measure passing in the Senate, where some of the chamber's Democrats are union members, are murky.