RTW Debate Approaches in Missouri House

AP) – The Missouri House is a step closer to debating a bill forbidding employers from requiring workers to pay dues to a union.

The House Workforce Standards and Development Committee on Wednesday approved three right-to-work bills, marking an early start on a measure that failed to pass the full chamber last year.

Two identical bills ban Missouri employers from requiring workers to pay any dues or fees to a labor organization. The third bill is sponsored Democratic Rep. Courtney Curtis and would apply only to the construction industry.

Curtis, who is black, says he introduced the measure because he believes minority contractors and workers are not treated fairly in the building trades.

The bills need approval from the Select Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations before going to the full House.