Statement by Michigan State AFL-CIO President Karla Swift on Gov. Snyder’s Right to Work announcement

The labor movement agrees with the governor that we must do what is best for the citizens of Michigan. The best way to reinvent our state is for everyone, labor and management, to work together on job creation, job training and education − like labor and management did in the auto industry. 

There are some basic economic facts that should inform any thoughtful discussion of Right to Work legislation. Workers, union or nonunion, make an average of $1,500 less per year in Right to Work states. They are also less likely to have pension or health care benefits.

The growth rate for Right to Work states before they adopted such policies is actually higher than the growth rate for these states after they adopted these laws. 

The Michigan labor movement remains committed to working with anyone who prioritizes the creation of family-sustaining jobs instead rather than partisan politics.  Ordinary citizens across the state are counting on their elected officials to hear them out on this issue, and will continue to make their voices heard.