A couple of weeks ago I went to a presentation on Right to Work organized by Americans for Prosperity. The presentation was slick and well organized. First, they said with Right to Work Michigan will better be able to compete for jobs with other states. That businesses will bring 1000s of new jobs to Michigan. Then a union worker got up and said that unions were holding him back and with Right to Work he will be able to earn more. Workers will be better off. Somehow, this didn’t seem right so I couldn’t help but ask, “OK, if workers are going to be able to earn MORE, why are businesses going to come to Michigan.” There was no answer. The truth is, they are not. They will only come if wages are less and the corporations can make more.
Research shows that workers in Right to Work states make over $1500 less and the median income for workers is over $6000 less. There are more people that are uninsured. Fewer employers, even small employers with less than 50 employees, offer health insurance. Right to Work states spend less per pupil on education, over $3000 less, and have higher poverty rates. So how is Michigan going to be better off?
We won’t be! This affects all of us in every area, every neighborhood. This affects every working family. We all need a good educational system and good health care. We need everyone to make a livable wage so they can afford and maintain a good house. We need people to have good paying jobs so that they can support neighborhood businesses. Right to Work is not just an attack on unions; it is an attack on the middle class. This is not an attack on union wages; this is an attack on workers wages. Right to Work is an attempt to drive all wages down. We need to support all working families, to fight for good jobs that pay a livable wage, for strong educational systems, and for good health care programs. These are the things that make for a strong middle class and are the backbone of our communities. Right to Work is wrong for all of us and it’s wrong for Michigan.
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