Michigan – Politicians Ram Through Legislation to Undermine the Middle Class

Protestors of a hurried and undemocratic, so-called “right-to-work” law rally outside the Statehouse. (Photo by Cynthia McCabe)

The corporate-driven, right-wing effort to undermine workers’ rights by pushing so-called “right-to-work (for less)” moved ahead at lightning speed this winter in Michigan. Less than a week after Gov. Rick Snyder announced he would introduce the legislation, the state Legislature pushed it through and Snyder signed it into law, without public hearing or comment.

Nearly 10,000 citizens flooded the Statehouse and surrounding grounds to protest the dangerous law, which was a page ripped directly from the playbook of the anti-union agenda of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – the source of much of this legislation across the country. The corporate backers of right-to-work-for-less in Michigan came out of hiding when the Michigan Chamber of Commerce announced support for the law, ending its neutrality on the issue. Another pro-business group called the Michigan Freedom Fund spent $1 million on TV ads supporting this initiative.

“Right-to-work” is a misleading term that hides what its proponents really want to do: weaken the voices of workers through their unions. Such laws do not guarantee a right-to-work. Instead, they allow workers who enjoy the benefits negotiated by a union to avoid paying their fair share of the costs of representation. Studies have shown that workers in right-to-work states lose economically compared to those in non right-to-work states.

“This is a fight for the middle class, for workers’ rights and dignity,” says AFSCME Council 25 Pres. Al Garrett. “Those politicians who want to protect the power of the 1 percent over the 99 percent are using this right-to-work legislation as a club to get us to surrender. They’re up to their same old political tricks.”