The Michigan Legislature is expected to consider Right to Work legislation in the next week. The law prohibits forcing workers to financially support a union as a condition of employment. Michigan would be the 24th state to pass such a law; Indiana is the latest, having enacted a Right to Work law earlier this year.

ATR President Grover Norqusit sent the following letter of support to Michigan lawmakers:

November 30, 2012

Michigan House
Michigan Senate

Dear Legislator,

I write in strong support of proposed Right to Work legislation in Michigan. This is one of the most important steps you can take to jumpstart the state’s economy, boost employment, and spur population growth.

Right to Work states have a much better economic track record than those states that allow compulsory unionization. Over the past 30 years, Right to Work states have seen total employment grow by 71 percent, compared to just 32 percent among forced unionization states and a paltry 14 percent in Michigan, according to the Mackinac Institute. And according to a recent Americans for Tax Reform study, seven of the eight states that gained Congressional seats in the 2010 Census reapportionment had Right to Work laws. Among the 10 states losing Congressional representation, only two were Right to Work.

That’s because job creation and population growth takes place in states that put an emphasis on worker freedom, in addition to low taxes and limited government. And individual workers will be better off, too. Over the past decade, compensation in Right to Work states has grown four times faster than in forced unionization states.

To be clear, this legislation will not ban collective bargaining. Unionization will still be perfectly legal. It will merely prohibit unions from terminating employees that choose not to pay union dues. In addition to an economic imperative, it is a moral one. To force all workers to financially support a union they may not agree with is absurd.

Far from extreme, Right to work is the law of the land in 23 states. It passed in Indiana just this year with virtually no negative political fallout for its champions.

Michigan is poised to pull itself out of protracted economic decline and start creating jobs and fostering economic growth once again. Right to Work is a key step in that direction. I urge your full support of this important measure.

If you have any questions, please contact Michigan state affairs manager Joshua Culling at jculling@atr.org.

Onward,

Grover Norquist

CC: The Honorable Rick Snyder

Posted by Joshua Culling on Friday, November 30, 2012 4:53 PM EST

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