Article
Right-to-Work Bill Would Harm Michigan’s Middle Class
Right-to-work laws weaken unions, lower middle-class income, and don’t reduce unemployment.
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If Michigan “right-to-work” legislation becomes law this week—as the legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder (R-MI) are poised to make it—it will hurt the state’s already-struggling middle class.
Unions are essential for building a strong middle class, yet right-to-work laws weaken unions by making unions provide services without being paid for them, which forces certain workers to pay the costs of union representation for all workers.
And by harming the middle class, a right-to-work law will harm Michigan’s economy because a strong middle class leads to additional business investment, greater entrepreneurship, more growth-enhancing public policy, and higher levels of trust that facilitate business transactions.
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Authors
Nick Bunker
Research Associate