Contractors, labor unions square off over 'right to work'

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11/ 9/2010: Radio Story - Organized labor oppose Republican leaders' plans

1/ 5/2011: Newspaper Story - Job creation and bipartisan goals marked the opening session of Missouri's 96th General Assembly.

Intro:	Missouri contractors and labor unions squared off in a Senate committee hearing to decide whether empoyess will have the choice to pay union dues.
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Wrap: Advocates for the bill were focused on making Missouri a competotor in the world stage by bringing business's to Missouri.

Senator Luann Ridgeway from Western Missouri sponsored the bill.

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Description: "Now, all states on Missouri's northern,western, and southern border are right to work states and every one of those states has a lower unemployment rate."

Ridgeway also says people are starting to move to right to work states.

Also, a site consultant from South Carolina who helps foreign and domestic companies choose where to locate says fifty percent of the firms he works with do not consider forced union states.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Brian Bondus.

Intro:	Conflicts arose in the Senate committee hearing to decide whether union membership would be mandatory among employees.
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Wrap:Missourian's Right to Work spokesman Greg Johns has worked in both right to work states and forced union states.

However, Johns says people have the right to chose which they want and they will pick what is the best option for them.

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Description: What I like about right to work states is as union members is the union members control thier own union. They are not controlled by business agents or shopsters. Human beings could get into all kinds of problems with those things.

Johns cited an example of how he helped soda companies in the right to work state of Arizona to unionize.

Opponents of the bill cited lower wages and poorer working conditions as possible outcomes.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Brian Bondus.

Intro:	Wages, job creation, and personal liberties were all discussed during Tuesday's Senate committee hearing on union contracts.
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Wrap: The Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the St. Louis building and Construction Trades union Jeff Aboussie spoke against the ban on all union contracts bill and highlighted the benefits of unions.

Aboussie points out some benefits of unions that might not first come to mind.

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Description: We believe that training creates a highly skiled workforce that is critical for the economic growth of Missouri and its not just for our (inaudible)its for continueing our education just like teachers, doctors, and lawyers get.

Aboussie also says unions help with pensions, and create higher wages.

The title of his presantation was called the right to work for less.

Supporters of the bill argued that passing the bill would create higher wages and a better living condition.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Biran Bondus