A proposed constitutional amendment to make Missouri a “Right-to-Work” state is being challenged by a lawsuit filed today in Cole County Circuit Court.

The Missouri Secretary of State recently approved for circulation Initiative Petition 2022-004 to amend Article I, Section 29 of the Missouri Constitution to establish Missouri as a “Right to Work” state. Just over two years ago, Missourians resoundingly rejected “Right to Work” as wrong for Missouri.

“In the 2018 elections, lobbyists and special interests tried to push a law in Missouri that would cut the take home pay of workers across the state. But Missouri voters joined together and overwhelmingly rejected that Proposition by a 30-point margin,” said Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO.  “Now the special interests are disrespecting the will of the voters and trying to push these laws again, which would hurt the rights of working people to bargain for better pay.”

U.S. Department of Labor and Census Bureau reports show that in Right to Work states, wages decline. On average, families make $8,700 less per year in states with Right to Work laws, while the average CEO pay is 364 times more than the average worker.

“If this Amendment passes, CEOs will make more, while average workers will make much less,” said Hummel.

The proposed constitutional amendment and ballot summary attempts to mislead voters by using the phrase “freedom to work”. 

“When politicians and special interests try to force workers to take lower wages, that’s the opposite of freedom,” said Hummel.  “Employees and employers have a constitutional right to negotiate an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay—that’s real freedom.”