Crowell: Help business, cripple unions

Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, has a simple solution to the woe that has befallen the economy in Missouri- Bring in jobs by crippling unions. His capital report for this week is printed below:

While many people talk about how to improve the jobs outlook in Missouri, very few have a plan to create real jobs and provide accountability to taxpayers. I was told growing up, “if you always do what you always did, then you will always get what you always got.” And that is unacceptable! Missouri deserves better; you deserve better.


This means in Missouri, we must reform our current regulations that impose heavy costs on employers and prevent new jobs. The job creation plan I have introduced will help make Missouri competitive for business growth.

To begin, we need to make Missouri a “Right-to-Work” state. Right-to-Work prevents employees from being required to join a union as a condition of employment and instead allow Missouri workers the freedom to choose whether to belong to a union or not.

According to the most current data available from the U.S. Department of Labor, job creation in right-to-work states is growing 2.5 times faster than non-right-to-work states. From 2003 to 2008 the number of private-sector employees in right-to-work states grew at 9.1 percent compared to forced-union states employee growth of 3.6 percent. More data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, shows that from 2003 to 2008 personal income levels increased by 15.8 percent in right-to-work states compared to 9.1 percent growth in forced-union states.

Forced union laws in Missouri burden employers with extra costs and cause companies to leave or avoid moving to Missouri when expanding. As Area Development Magazine’s annual corporate survey reported, 69.5 percent of business executives specify Right-to-Work as an important factor in site selection. It is time for politicians to stop protecting unions and start working for Missouri jobs.

Next we should bring Missouri’s minimum wage in line with the federal minimum wage. Because Missouri’s current minimum wage has an automatic increase according to the Consumer Price Index, companies face uncertainty over the cost of employing workers in our state.

There is no justification for Missouri having a minimum wage that is higher than the national minimum wage. This anti-jobs provision should be repealed.

Finally, by ending lawsuit abuses through the reforming of Missouri’s employment laws, we can improve employers’ ability to hire and retain quality workers. Instead of spending money on attorney fees, insurance, and frivolous settlements, employers can invest in jobs.

This can be done by:

· Restoring balance to Missouri's Human Rights Act; and

 Reversing Judicial Activism in the Workers’ Compensation System

Attracting jobs to Missouri should be our highest priority and these key reforms are important to putting Missouri First.