Dear Legislator:
On behalf of more than 11,000 Michigan members of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I urge you to support a Right-to-Work law, which would foster wage and job growth in your State.
The history and data show that such legislation could help to restore Michigan’s fragile economy. According to the Mackinac Center, Indiana has added 43,300 jobs since becoming a Right-to-Work state less than a year ago. During that same time period, Michigan lost 7,300 jobs. Furthermore, Right-to-Work states experienced 72 percent of all net household job growth in the U.S. from June 2009 through September 2012.
Not only do Right-to-Work laws help to create more jobs, they also help to create better jobs. Statistics from the National Institute of Labor Relations Research, covering 2000-2010, show that employees in Right-to-Work states have seen compensation rise by 11.3 percent over that period versus 0.7 percent in forced-unionization states.
Allowing for greater worker freedoms is sound economic policy, but Right-to-Work is also about protecting basic individual rights. Americans in Right-to-Work states maintain their ability to join unions, but they also are given the ability to decline membership without fear of being penalized. This is consistent with one of our fundamental Constitutional rights: freedom of association.
Given the demonstrably solid record of economic growth in Right-to-Work states, and the importance of protecting the basic choices all Michigan workers ought to have, we look forward to speedy enactment of Right-to-Work legislation in the Great Lakes State. Employees, business owners, and job-seekers are counting on you.
Sincerely,
Lee SchalkState Government Affairs Manager
cc: Governor Rick Snyder