Minnesota strike shows what could occur in Missouri

To the editor:

More than half of Minnesota's state workers walked off the job Oct. 1, fulfilling a strike threat that has been looming for several months. The strike came one week after a broad coalition of Missouri associations, state workers and lawmakers filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Missouri Gov. Bob Holden's executive order dramatically advancing the unionization of 30,000 Missouri state employees. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and other members of the coalition have long held that public-employee collective bargaining is poor public policy, and Minnesota's strike is one glaring example. This is exactly the type of government disruption for which Missouri should prepare itself.

While Holden's order specifically states that strikes are prohibited, the Minnesota action brings concern. Washington state government has a no-strike clause similar to Missouri's. However, Washington's no-strike clause did not stop a 10-week rolling strike of Washington state workers in 2001. That's why we are calling on legislators next session to implement the toughest anti-strike legislation in the nation to protect Missouri state workers and taxpayers from what Holden has imposed upon our state.

In Minnesota, National Guard troops have been trained to assist state facilities, and the state will hire hundreds of temporary workers for essential jobs. Especially at this time, I think it is a travesty for National Guard troops to be detracted from national-security duties to fill in for striking state workers. I hope it never comes to that in our state.

DANIEL P. MEHAN

President

Missouri Chamber of Commerce

Jefferson City, Mo.