Mo. Rev. Stat. § 295.010

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state that heat, light, power, sanitation, transportation, communication, and water are life essentials of the people; that the possibility of labor strife in utilities operating under governmental franchise or permit or under governmental ownership and control is a threat to the welfare and health of the people; that utilities so operating are clothed with public interest, and the state's regulation of the labor relations affecting such public utilities is necessary in the public interest.