Last week, the Republican supermajority in the Missouri House of Representatives made clear their intentions of rolling back hard-won protections in the workplace. Protections that no worker would have without unions. Instead of focusing on real issues facing the people of Missouri, the House of Representatives debated a bill, HB 1795, which would roll back child labor laws, many provisions of which have been in effect since at least the 1950s.
HB 1795 would remove the permitting requirements currently in place for children between the ages of 14 and 16 and replace them with a simple parental permission form. The laws currently in place are there as a stop-gap measure so we, never again, have to live through the workplace conditions of the early 20th Century, described in brutal detail in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. This lack of oversight, as we have seen in numerous other states, will lead to an increase in child labor law violations, specifically in the industries deemed too dangerous for children to work in like meatpacking, manufacturing, and construction, to name a few.
While this change in the permission structure may seem benign, it is only one piece of the puzzle. During the debate on the floor, a member of the Republican caucus said the quiet part out loud; their goals include making Missouri a Right to Work state.
Although, I’m not sure you can call it the ‘quiet part’ after all these years and attempts to make Missouri a Right to Work state. As we are well aware, many of our elected officials down in Jefferson City do not care about what we the people have to say. In 2018, Missourians shot down Right to Work 67.5% to 32.5%, yet your elected officials are still trying to implement a policy that is wrong for Missouri.
Every week, me and my fellow members of the Democratic caucus go to Jefferson City to fight for the workers and for organized labor. We fight these battles because we know that policies that seek to roll back child labor protections and Right to Work, among others, are not what Missourians want or need. These policies are not going to make our economy work nor fill the thousands of vacant jobs. What we need are pro-worker policies like an increased base salary, access to paid sick leave, better benefits, and protecting prevailing wages. These policies will attract workers and grow our economy. These are the policies that I have been supporting for four years in the Missouri House and these are the policies I will fight for in the Missouri Senate.
EDITORS NOTE: Lewis has a 100% pro-labor voting record and has been endorsed by the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Teamsters.
Representative Patty Lewis, a Democrat, represents Jackson County (District 25) in the Missouri House of Representatives. She was elected to her first two-year term in November 2020.
In addition to her legislative service, Lewis has more than 20 years of health care experience as an ICU/Critical Care Registered Nurse, as well as a Health Care Executive. As an ICU nurse, Lewis cared for the most vulnerable patients in the hospital. As an executive, she was responsible for leading teams, building cases, and identifying solutions to improve patient safety for health care organizations across the world.
Lewis had the value of service and giving back to her community instilled in her at a very young age by her parents. She currently serves as vice president for her home association board, and serves on several other boards and committees. She also volunteers with a variety of organizations throughout the city.
Lewis was born and raised in Kansas City and currently resides there with her husband. During their free time, they enjoy spending time with their extended family including their nieces and nephews. They also enjoy being outdoors, camping, hiking and exploring the great state of Missouri.
