Senator Keaveny Responds to
Upholding of Right-to-Work Veto

JEFFERSON CITY— Today, September 16, the Missouri General Assembly upheld the veto of Right-to-Work legislation, House Bill 116. Senator Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, has been closely following the Right-to-Work, minimum wage and unemployment legislation to ensure the actions taken during veto session are the most beneficial for Missourians.

The anti-union Right-to-Work legislation is a national attempt to weaken the bargaining power of workers. This legislation would have endangered job site safety and lowered workers’ wages.  It would have been irresponsible to destroy the institution of organized labor and take money out of the pockets of working families. The vote was 96-63 with 1 absent, 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for an override. 

“I am pleased that Missouri will not join the ranks of other states that have allowed Right-to-Work to minimize the hard work of their union employees,” Sen. Keaveny said. “The passage of this legislation would have impacted the safety of the workers and been a poor financial decision for Missouri families.”