CEI Joins Coalition Urging Missouri Governor to Champion Public Sector Union Reform
Dear Governor Greitens,
In your first month in office, Missouri joined a growing majority of states to become the 28th state to pass right-to-work legislation. That achievement is even more extraordinary in the context of the years of previous unsuccessful attempts. Right-to-work states have seen greater worker freedom, better ability to compete for new business and greater employment growth than non-right-to-work states. We look forward to seeing the benefits right-to-work will bring to Missouri as well.
Perhaps even more impactful, however, is government union reform.
Unions that represent public sector workers exploit their unique ability not only to bargain with government, but also their power to help elect the parties with whom they bargain. For that reason, government unions should be held accountable to their members and to the taxpaying public at large.
The state of Wisconsin recognized the need for accountability by the unions representing their government workers. Governor Scott Walker enacted government union reform in 2011 and, as of today, Wisconsin remains the only state to require government unions to hold recertification elections on an annual basis. Wisconsin’s Act 10, which also included public pension reform, saved taxpayers over $5 billion in its first five years and made Governor Walker a nationally recognized leader in the realm of labor reform.
It’s now clear that Missouri also recognizes the potential impact of government union reform.
House Bill 251, a comprehensive government union reform package containing paycheck protection, regular recertification elections, union transparency requirements and prohibitions on union release time, is currently in the Senate and awaits final votes from both chambers. With this legislation, and the progress it has already made, Missouri has a real opportunity in 2017 to join Wisconsin in leading government union reform.
As the legislative session quickly comes to a close, we urge you to help Missouri become the next state to see government union reform become a reality. With the reforms included in House Bill 251, Missouri could serve as a model for the many states that are yet to consider such legislation. Missouri’s taxpayers, government workers, and the rest of the country stand to benefit from its passage.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Mazzella
President, Center for Individual Freedom
Jon Russell
National Director, American City County Exchange
Phil Kerpen
President, American Commitment
Dan Schneider
Executive Director, American Conservative Union
Jeremy Cady
Missouri State Director, Americans for Prosperity
Grover Norquist
President, Americans for Tax Reform
Lisa B. Nelson
CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council & ALEC Action
Andrew F. Quinlan
President, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Matt Patterson
Executive Director, Center for Worker Freedom
Trey Kovacs
Labor Policy Analyst, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Tom Schatz
President
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
George Landrith
President, Frontiers of Freedom
Andrew Langer
President, Institute for Liberty
Tom Giovanetti
President, Institute for Policy Innovation
Ashley N. Varner
Senior Director, Jeffersonian Project
Seton Motley
President, Less Government
Tim Jones
Chairman, Missouri Club for Growth
Pete Sepp
President, National Taxpayers Union
James L. Martin
Chairman, 60 Plus Association
Karen Kerrigan
President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
David Williams
President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Charlie Sauer
President, The Market Institute