Ethical Society Mid Rivers Holds Proposition A Forum

ST. PETERS, MO — On Tuesday, voters will go to the polls to decide whether Missouri will become the nation's 28th right-to-work state — critics say "right to work for less" — and the Ethical Society Mid Rivers wants to make sure voters are well-informed and ready to cast their ballots. The group held an adult learning forum on Proposition A Sunday at noon at the University of Missouri Extension Center.

ESMR is part of the American Ethical Union and one of many ethical societies across the country that believe, according to the group's website, that education and social action are important parts of living an ethical life.

"Being a well-informed, well-reasoned voter [is] part of being an ethical person," said member Stephanie Stone, who lead the forum. Stone is a retired program manager with the Defense Department's Defense Contract Management Agency.

Stone gave a presentation on the pros and cons of the proposed law, but stressed that the Ethical Society does not endorse candidates or issues, and the purpose of the forum wasn't to tell anyone how to vote, but rather "to provide as much factual information as possible when they do vote."

Stone covered the basics, like when and where to vote, before going through the language of the ballot measure and the history of the right-to-work initiative. She also touched on statistics comparing right-to-work and non-right-to-work states, as well as fact check talking points put out by both supporters and opponents of the law.

After the presentation, attendees participated in an open forum to further discuss the issues.

See the presentation here:

A right-to-work bill was passed by the Missouri legislature last year and signed into law by former Gov. Eric Greitens. However, more than 300,000 voters signed a petition to put a referendum on the ballot repealing the law. That vote will be held August 7.

A "no" vote would repeal the law, leaving Missouri a union state. A "yes" vote would approve the law, making Missouri right-to-work.

"If adopted, [the right-to-work bill] will amend Missouri law to prohibit, as a condition of employment, forced membership in a labor organization (union) or forced payments of dues or fees...to a union," according to the proposition's fair ballot language.

Workers can already avoid paying full union dues under Missouri's current law, but can be forced to pay for collective bargaining and other services that benefit union and non-union members alike.

Proponents say right-to-work states generally enjoy higher economic growth than non-right-to-work states, and that no one should be forced to pay union dues against their will. Opponents point to higher poverty rates in right-to-work states, and say that while right-to-work laws may boost companies' bottom lines, they do so at the expense of the middle class and workers. As for being forced to pay union dues, critics say Prop A would protect freeloaders who benefit from unions but don't want to contribute.

This forum, as well as others the Ethical Society has planned, aims to help attendees cut through the noise and work through such ethical challenges, Stone said. It isn't easy when no one seems to be working from the same set of facts. One of Stone's biggest surprises, she explained, was just how hard it was to find unbiased information about the ballot measure. She promised to cite all of her sources.

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