BREAKING: Working Michigan Coalition Respond to Gov. Snyder's Pledge to Support Right-to-Work Legislation
LANSING, Mich., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Earlier today, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and Speaker Jase Bolger announced that the Legislature would move forward with so-called right-to-work legislation, which will flatten wages, crush workers' rights and unravel the middle class. Following their announcement, Working Michigan, a broad coalition of faith, labor and community organizations issued the following statement:
"As the Michigan economy continues to recover from a devastating recession, we should be uniting to find solutions that strengthen our state and ensure that every working family can have a shot at a decent living. Instead, Republican leadership, backed by their corporate CEO funders, have made a decision to attack working families with divisive laws that pit worker against worker, divide communities and stand in the way of progress.
"It seems that Snyder, Richardville and Bolger believe that decorating legislation with the phrase 'workplace freedom' and stating their alleged support of collective bargaining that Michiganders will understand this legislation to be a good thing for Michigan. But we will not be fooled. Study after study has demonstrated the devastating effects of this sort of legislation: workers in 'right-to-work' states make $1,500 less per year, meanwhile the growth rate for 'right-to-work' states is consistently higher before the legislation passes than after.
"Let's be clear, the notion of 'workplace freedom' is patently false. In the wake of this legislation, the only 'freedom' gained for Michigan workers will be the freedom to make less, the freedom to be disrespected at work, the freedom to struggle to pay their bills and the freedom to be left out of the American dream. This bill is a blatant attempt by the richest in Michigan to silence the voices of working families in our democracy, build their own power, and make the growing gap between the rich and everyone else even bigger.
"Should Snyder sign this legislation, he will join a list of other governors – John Kasich, Scott Walker, and others – who have signed over the future of their respective states to big corporations and CEOs, making a decision to leave working families behind. Regardless of what might happen, working people have made it clear they will continue to fight for our vision of a better, stronger Michigan and work to hold elected leaders accountable."
SOURCE Working Michigan Coalition
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article