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Mo. is Ground Zero in RTW Attack Against Workers
In this election season, there are many important races up and down the ballot. But in none of them is the anti-worker ruse known as right to work (RTW) playing such a prominent role than that for Missouri governor.
Chris Koster, the Show Me State’s current attorney general, is a long-time opponent of RTW. In fact, the former Republican turned Democrat even opposed it when he was a member of the GOP a decade ago. His stance is the polar opposite of that of his Republican opponent Eric Greitens.
“I’m opposed to using government regulations to lower the wages of Missourians,” Koster told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last month. “Eric’s desire to roll back collective bargaining rights in Missouri is inconsistent with the goal of building a strong middle class.”
The issue is paramount in Missouri because corporate cronies have repeatedly sought to enact RTW in the state. The only reason it has not cleared the Capitol is due to the repeated vetoes of current Gov. Jay Nixon.
But Gov. Nixon’s second term as governor is ending. And with a Republican supermajority still expected to be in place in the state legislature, it is imperative that everyday Missourians get behind Koster’s candidacy to be the next governor in the state.
Missouri has been ground zero in big businesses’ battle to implement anti-worker legislation. Corporations, not satisfied enough with their sky-high profits, have repeatedly attempted to rally Missouri lawmakers and pass RTW in an effort to drive down salaries and hamper workplace rights of everyday workers.
The Teamsters and other labor allies are active participants in Missouri and elsewhere because they understand what is at stake. Efforts to further undermine collective bargaining are also real concerns in Virginia and Kentucky this election cycle.
The Teamsters will be mobilizing in advance of the November election to make sure workers aren’t tossed aside to enable big business to grow even more wealthy and powerful at the people’s expense. But voters in Missouri and elsewhere need to do their part as well.