ºüÀêÊÓƵ

Almost 40 years later, Hayes, from Kansas City, found himself at the Capitol on Monday fighting that exact same fight again.

“I do not believe this is right for Missouri residents,� said Hayes, a member of the Communication Workers of America and one of hundreds of union workers who flooded the Capitol this week to oppose the measure.

But the Missouri Legislature doesn’t agree. The House voted 92-66 Wednesday to send the measure to Gov. Jay Nixon, who is against “right-to-work.�

One day earlier, to shut down debate and force a vote on the measure after Democrats blocked action with a filibuster for more than eight hours. The Senate then voted 21-13 in favor of it.

Both the House and the Senate were short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto from Nixon — 109 votes are needed in the House and 23 in the Senate.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Nixon signaled he would veto the bill. He said it would weaken the economy by lowering wages, making “it harder for middle-class families to move up the economic ladder.�

“At a time when our economy is picking up steam and businesses are creating good jobs, this so-called right-to-work bill would take Missouri backwards,� Nixon said.

Currently, workers at a union employer can opt out of paying dues for union membership, but may be required to pay fees for the collective bargaining and other representation services provided by the union.

Under the measure, employees who are not members of the union could not be forced to pay fees for such union services. Business representatives who violate the measure could be charged with a class C misdemeanor, which could result in 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.

That “scares me,� said Rep. Galen Higdon, R-St. Joseph.

Opponents argue the measure would lower wages and lead to more dangerous work environment.

“If you’re for the 1 percent and not the good of the whole, then you’re in favor of this so-called right-to-work for less,â€� said Rep. Karla May, D-ºüÀêÊÓƵ. “This is an attack on middle-class America.â€�

But proponents say the measure would help the state attract businesses, therefore increasing wages.

“There’s no job security better than having an employer down the road hiring workers in your field,� said bill sponsor Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, on Monday.

Currently, 25 states let workers choose whether to join a union, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those states still have unions, but workers cannot be required to become members.

In those states, unionization rates and wages are lower, but employment has increased, according to a 2012 Congressional Research Service report.

However, the report stated that it is not possible to determine if the data is related to the passage of right to work.

Union membership already is decreasing in Missouri. In 2011, 10.9 percent of workers — or 275,000 — were union members. Three years later, 8.4 percent of workers — or 214,000 — were union members, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Rep. Clem Smith, D-Velda Village Hills, said he didn’t understand the attention paid to such a low percentage of the workforce.

“So, are you telling me the 92 percent is so scared of the 8 percent?� he said Wednesday.

Several Republicans voiced opposition to the measure, saying the government was intruding on working Americans’ lives.

“We’re not talking about people … who gets checks from the government, we’re not talking about people who take advantage of the system or people who are illegals — we’re talking about people who just want to get up and go to work and be left alone,� said Rep. John McCaherty, R-High Ridge. “Now somehow we believe in this body that they know better than what that person has chosen.�

The bill is .