NO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

Despite the fact that for two decades proposals to permit collective bargaining among state employees have failed in the Missouri Legislature, another effort is under way this session.

A House bill to allow collective bargaining sponsored by state Rep. Steve McLuckie, D-Kansas City, recently received a House hearing, and Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan again has listed legalizing collective bargaining as a priority for his administration.

Permitting state workers to engage in collective bargaining would be disastrous to state government and costly to taxpayers. Missouri allows meet-and-confer discussions between employee representatives and government managers, and the practice has worked well. Few would say that state workers are underpaid, and their benefits certainly or better than in many private-sector jobs.

Carnahan has touted the fact that Missouri is one of only four states to recently receive Governing Magazine's highest grade for state financial management. Has the thought crossed his mind that Missouri wouldn't have been rated so highly if it permitted collective bargaining?