Prop A for Missouri

While picking the opponent for U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will certainly be important in Tuesday’s primary, that issue may come in second to the yes-or-no Missourians will give to Proposition A. This issue has become especially important in this region with the pending construction of a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport. Recently, the compromise made between unions and the City Council was that 95 percent of the work done would be done by union labor. Kansas, meanwhile, is one of 28 “Right-to-Work” states, meaning workers are not required to join unions for certain jobs.

You will answer this question with either a “yes” or “no” vote, so you need to make sure you understand before you grab your ballot. The question is whether you want the state of Missouri to adopt Senate Bill 19, which was passed by the general assembly in 2017 and also known as Right-To-Work legislation.  If you answer no, then quite simply, it will not be adopted and business will continue as usual.

If you vote yes, this is what would change:

• People would not be required to join a union for certain jobs and would also not be required to pay union dues or fees.
• Those same people would not be required to be a member of a union as a condition of employment.
• The people who chose not to participate in the paying of union dues would be protected from harassment or injury sustained because of their choice.
• This would not apply to union agreements entered into before the effective date of Prop A, unless those agreements are changed or renewed after the effective date.
• This would not have any impact on taxes.