title:  While You Were Distracted, Republicans Gutted Workers’ Rights In Yet Another State (DETAILS)
text: On Monday, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signed legislation making Missouri the latest  right-to-work  state. Republican governors have done this in order to break into the last remaining strongholds of the labor unions. Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) started this trend with conservatives. He gutted collective bargaining rights which ended big pay increases for most public workers. His move also required them to pay more for health care and pension benefits. That move set off a wave of protests in the state.Trump will be very giddy about this:Legislation advancing in the New Hampshire capital, if approved, would make the state the first in the Northeast to go  right-to-work.  The measure, which bars unions from forcing employees to join or pay dues, is set for a vote in the state s House next week   after having passed the Senate.The push is the latest sign of labor unions  diminishing clout, and how Republican gains at the state level are having a broad impact on policy, amid support for such legislation from the Trump White House.On Twitter, the Missouri Governor said:Today, I signed Right to Work. This is about more jobs   Missourians are ready to work, and now our state is open for business! pic.twitter.com/xM4zY71RH1  Eric Greitens (@EricGreitens) February 6, 2017State Republican Rep. Stephen Schmidt, chairman of the House labor committee, explained that there are some Republicans who are not supporting the right-to-work bill. Schmidt said he backs the bill but isn t sure it will pass. I believe it will be a very tight vote one way or another,  he said. This bill will silence the teachers who advocate on behalf of smaller class sizes for our children, the transportation employees who negotiate for the equipment they need to keep the roads clear after a blizzard and the police and firefighters who negotiate for the staffing levels they need to keep us safe,  the New Hampshire AFL-CIO union branch said. Its end goal is to destroy unions. Numbers don t lie, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said. Workers in states with right to work laws have wages that are 12 percent lower. That s because unions raise wages for all workers, not just our members. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said last week that alleged president Donald Trump supports the right-to-work efforts in New Hampshire and other states. The president believes in right to work. He wants to give workers and companies the flexibility to do what s in the best interest for job creators,  Spicer said.Right-to-work legislation has historically failed in New Hampshire but now with a Republican governor and legislature, it might become a reality.Read more:Image: Dave Ingraham via Flickr.