While the Republicans who control the Legislature in Jefferson City are falling all over themselves to implode a jobs bill, some real, serious job-creating is going on elsewhere in Missouri.

We noted recently the positive development of General Motors promising to bring about 1,800 new jobs to its Wentzville automotive manufacturing plant as part of its new agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

The jobs won't pay as much as they used to, but they're an investment in the St. Louis region, the state of Missouri and the middle class.

 

Workers gave final approval to that agreement on Thursday. Just days earlier, Ford announced a similar deal with the UAW that could bring about 1,600 new jobs to the Kansas City area.

While the economy still is sputtering — unemployment nationwide stands at about 9 percent — it's hard to underestimate the positive news that new manufacturing jobs can bring to Missouri. Key to both Ford and GM agreeing to expand in the state were incentives championed in last year's Legislative special session by Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, and the then-leaders of the House and Senate, Ron Richard and Charlie Shields, both Republicans.

Mr. Richard has vacated his speaker chair and moved to the Senate. Mr. Shields has retired from the Legislature. Mr. Nixon, meanwhile, is basking in the political glory of welcoming the new, decent-paying jobs with benefits at a time when the new leaders of the House and Senate can't come to agreement on a jobs bill that could reap similar rewards next year.

 

A couple of points must be noted about the automotive plant expansions:

They surely would not have happened had Missouri Republicans succeeded in their effort earlier this year to pass right-to-work legislation that would have diminished worker protections. They most certainly wouldn't have happened had the federal government not intervened to save the automotive industry from collapse.

The Ford and GM announcements show how bringing jobs back to the United States from overseas and investing in American workers are a bright spot that should give bickering politicians in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., a clear path forward. A little cooperation between government, workers and corporations can create economic growth.

Together — not apart — we can all be job creators.