Missouri’s High Court Rules for Union Rights

The Missouri Supreme Court last week returned to teachers and public employees the constitutional right to bargain collectively—a right it had taken away 60 years ago.

Although governments in Missouri are not required to reach agreements with labor unions, they also cannot simply back out of any contracts once they are made, the court said in its May 29 ruling, citing a section of the state constitution guaranteeing employees in general the right to collective bargaining.

The 5-2 decision came in a dispute involving the 10,500 student Independence school district and an affiliate of the National Education Association. Some school employee groups in the district sued the local school board in 2003 after it discarded signed agreements...