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shifty_coder t1_jcc50eb wrote

Reply to comment by CountryClublican in Michigan Senate votes to repeal 2012 law restricting unions by TheArkOfTruth

It gave employers the ability to terminate employment, without cause. “Right to work” did not give rights to workers.

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CountryClublican t1_jcc7m6q wrote

"What does right-to-work mean in Michigan?

Right-to-Work allows workers to opt out of paying dues in union-represented jobs but still receive benefits. 27 states have similar laws, which unions say hurts them financially and makes it harder to organize. Wages grew 12 percent in Michigan since Right-to-Work was adopted, below the rate of inflation."

Bridge Michigan

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shifty_coder t1_jcc8aqt wrote

“What does right to work mean in Michigan?”

Right-to-work laws have no impact in boosting economic growth: research shows that there is no relationship between right-to-work laws and state unemployment rates, state per capita income, or state job growth.

Right-to-work laws have no significant impact on attracting employers to a particular state; surveys of employers show that “right to work” is a minor or non-existent factor in location decisions, and that higher-wage, hi-tech firms in particular generally prefer free-bargaining states.

Right-to-work laws lower wages—for both union and nonunion workers alike—by an average of $1,500 per year, after accounting for the cost of living in each state. Right-to-work laws also decrease the likelihood that employees get either health insurance or pensions through their jobs—again, for both union and nonunion workers.

By cutting wages, right-to-work laws threaten to undermine job growth by reducing the discretionary income people have to spend in the local retail, real estate, construction, and service industries. Every $1 million in wage cuts translates into an additional six jobs lost in the economy. With 85 percent of Michigan’s economy concentrated in health care, retail, education, and other non-manufacturing industries, widespread wage and benefit cuts could translate into significant negative spillover effects for the state’s economy.

Economic Policy Institute

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