Email I received from Rick (sleazeball) Snyder,

[mrmpa]

I emailed Snyder yesterday, telling him of the reasons I have as to why he should not sign the "Right to Work" legislation in Michiga.
This was his response. It includes a video of Michigan Union workers supporting Freedom to Work in Michiga. (Isn't that an oxymoron?) It also puts the blame on Unions for this, because of Proposal 2 on the November ballot. This Proposal would have added Union Protection to the Michigan Constitution (what's wrong with that?)

Just Posted: Watch this video to find out why these Michigan union workers support Freedom to Work in our state: http://bit.ly/TM3WBC



Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding my announcement to support workplace fairness and equality legislation in Michigan.

I realize the freedom-to-work issue evokes strong emotions among supporters and opponents. To date, this issue has not been part of my agenda to reinvent Michigan due to its divisive nature. However, it was propelled to the public policy forefront when unions placed Proposal 2 on the November ballot.

This legislation complements our ongoing reforms and will keep Michigan’s comeback strong. It’s about more and better jobs for families, brighter futures for our kids and freedom for our workers to decide for themselves whether to join or financially support a union.

Freedom-to-work in Michigan will not prohibit unions or collective bargaining. In fact, I support collective bargaining because it has worked well in Michigan for decades. It should be the unions’ responsibility to encourage membership by explaining the benefits and services they have to offer. People who agree that membership serves them will join. Those who don’t agree will not join. Michigan workers deserve that freedom. This legislation does not affect existing contracts and has no impact on workplace health or safety standards.


Under this legislation, agreements between labor unions and employers cannot require public/private-sector employee membership in a union or the payment of union dues. This legislation respects and preserves the status afforded to police and firefighters under Public Act 312, which reflects the hazardous nature of their jobs. We must preserve the loyalty and intra-unit solidarity that are crucial elements in the ability of our police and firefighters to perform their dangerous public safety missions.

I realize freedom-to-work is not a magic bullet or a cure-all for our economic challenges. We know that investors look at many factors when deciding where to locate, such as the quality of schools, the tax climate and availability of talent – all of which we are working hard to improve on a daily basis.

This law will help make Michigan’s economic climate more conducive to job growth by giving employers greater flexibility to expand and innovate – which means more and better jobs for our families. The laws take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. SB 116 is Public Act 348 of 2012. HB 4003 is PA 349 of 2012. Visit http://www.legislature.mi.gov for more information on this legislation.

It is not enough for Michigan to survive. We’ve proved we can. Looking forward, I want Michigan to thrive. I believe deeply that this workplace fairness and equality legislation is an essential building block in our state’s long-term success.

Sincerely,

Rick Snyder
Governor

[louis-t]

1. I got one telling me how wonderful right-to-work is.

Here is the letter and what I sent back.

Today, Michigan's legislature is considering Freedom to Work legislation, giving workers the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union. They won't be forced to pay union dues if they don't want to, and they won't lose their jobs because of it. And if they want to pay dues voluntarily, they have the freedom to do that, too.
In a new video, union members explain why they support freedom to work. Click here to hear what they have to say.
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“Right to Work is about being pro-worker and about giving workers the freedom to choose who they associate with. If you step back and look at it, today Michigan is at a major competitive disadvantage.
"Indiana has become a right to work state. I've looked at their pipeline, and they've significantly increased the number of businesses looking to come to Indiana and grow in Indiana thanks to Right to Work.
The last two years, Michigan has done well. We've added 140,000 jobs, and we're forecast to add 110,000 jobs over the next two years. But if you add that up, that's only 250,000 jobs. We've lost over 750,000 jobs from 2000 to 2010. I want to see our rate to go up and be even better. So when I looked at Indiana and Right to Work, I thought that here's an opportunity to see that pace increase.”
Governor Rick Snyder explains what Freedom to Work is all about and how it will help Michigan workers.

My reply:

It’s all about destroying unions to take away their political power and keep Michigan workers at the poverty level. You, Mr. Snyder, are not doing the workers of Michigan any favors. Don’t pretend you are doing this to help workers. Any time a Republican says “choices and flexibility” I am tempted to grab my wallet and run. If you take money away from my clients, they will not buy homes from me. Your goal appears to be to make everyone in the state work for $10 an hour with no benefits. While the price of EVERYTHING is going up, you ask the citizens who elected you to work for starvation wages? Who will buy cars? Who will buy homes? The rich investors? You already took away a business that was in its infancy in this state, yet employed 4,000 in the movie industry alone and was growing. The industry was spending millions in this state and you decided on your own that we didn’t need that. Your priorities are really backward. The Koch Brothers’ happiness should not be your top priority.