newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Democrats in Michigan will vote in the state legislature on March 8 to move quickly to repeal the state’s right-to-work law. As a longtime advocate of families and job creators in Michigan, I can hardly imagine a more foolish path. and send the message that families will suffer lower wages, increased poverty and, above all, less freedom.
Rather than roll back progress made so far, Michigan should focus on growth-promoting policies such as labor rights. And if the abolition succeeds, it will surely evoke a strong reaction. Michigan Businesses and Families Push Voting Initiative to Bring Back Labor Rights. Given the overwhelming popularity of this law, politicians should worry about wasting time on an ultimately doomed endeavor.
What’s happening in Michigan is a direct result of the November elections. Democrats won control of Congress for the first time in almost 40 years, and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also won re-election, announcing his intention to quickly abolish labor rights, despite barely mentioning it during his campaign. clarified.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers a state address to a joint session of the House and Senate at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, Wednesday, January 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Al Gordis)
The law, enacted in 2012, gives workers the freedom to decide for themselves whether to join a union and pay dues. Unions are free to advocate and workers are free to choose.
U.S. union membership to hit record lows in 2022 despite campaigns at high-profile companies
The House vote turns the script upside down, eliminating workers’ liberty and guaranteeing union power in law. Michigan becomes the first state to abolish the right to work since the 1960s. But politicians ignore the serious damage this will do to Michigan’s economic recovery.
I can attest that the right to work is one of the biggest factors when a company decides to expand or relocate. Often it is the gateway. That is, the first opening that businesses look for before considering other factors such as taxes, regulations, and cost of living. Businesses are much less likely to continue to consider the state if the gateway is closed.
For Michigan, the right to work was a cornerstone of its economic development plan and promised to be a top 10 state. After decades of losing to just about everyone – Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee – it sent the message that we wanted to compete and win.
The evidence in favor of the right to work has long been evident. Years ago, right-to-work states are seeing accelerated job growth, income growth, and population growth. That was exactly what Michigan needed when the right to work was passed. Since then, it has passed labor-free states on many key economic and quality-of-life indicators, from increased incomes to reduced unemployment and poverty. Research shows there are now far more manufacturing jobs in Michigan than there would have been without this law.
Click here to get the opinion newsletter
These economic facts prove that Michigan got the job right in the first place. It also serves as a reminder of why Michigans broadly support this common sense law.
In 2012, just a month before the law was passed, voters broadly rejected the labor rights ban by a margin of 15 percentage points. Clearly, the citizens of our state wanted to move toward worker freedom and the economic growth that freedom would bring. They got their wish when the right to work became law.
Has Michigan’s opinion changed in the last decade? Not likely. in the last few months, vote after vote shows growing support for the right to work since 2012. Most Democrats and even those in union households support the law. This makes sense. The right to work forces union members to provide the best possible value, and union members are free to leave if they are not worth their dues. Abolition nullifies that freedom and nullifies the incentives for unions to work hard for workers’ money.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
This enduring and growing support for the right to work should give the Senate a moratorium before taking up the House-passed repeal. If legislators move forward, it means they want to move away from workers’ liberty and become a top 10 state. Certainly, Michigan families will want a say in whether our state declines.
Someone has to fight for our state, and if our legislators and governors don’t, the people of Michigan will.
