Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says right-to-work issue is on the table

**Det_ard** · December-06-12, 01:17 PM

This is but a small step toward reversing Michigan's negative reputation. Manufacturers avoid our state due to our strong union heritage. From a businesses perspective, unions are purely a negative factor. They raise your costs and promote inefficient work practices, things that aren't helpful when competing against businesses with market-based costs and best-in-class work practices. Since most businesses have choices on where to locate, Michigan gets put lower on the list. Hence fewer jobs in Michigan than otherwise.

Case in point -- name one foreign auto manufacturer that decided to build a plant here in the "Mecca" of the auto industry. The natural advantages of locating in an area with extensive automotive expertise was outweighed by the disadvantage of operating in a strong union environment. That's why every single "transplant" auto plant is located in a weak union environment. Dozens of assembly plants, surrrounded by the whole supply base that accompanies a major auto final assembly plant. Hundreds of thousands of decent jobs, including both high-tech manufacturing jobs and a lot of semi-skilled jobs.

Since we still have an overhang of unskilled and semi-skilled workers as a legacy of the days when a strong back was enough to get a Big 3 UAW job, we as a state really need these kind of manufacturing jobs. Yet we drive them away due to our strong union reputation. RTW is a step toward fixing that, for the betterment of the people of the state. I have to say, Synder and the Republicans in the legislature showed more courage here than I expected. I know there is a nasty and divisive shit-storm of protest headed their way. They may pay for it with their jobs, as out-of-state forces gear up to defeat them. Still, IMO they did the right thing for the people of Michigan in the long run.

**rb336** · December-06-12, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

This is but a small step toward reversing Michigan's negative reputation. Manufacturers avoid our state due to our strong union heritage.

Sorry, bub, facts refute your claim. Michigan leads in new manufacturing jobs - and by a WIDE margin of 30% - over runner-up Texas. And that isd info from the least labor-friendly organization in the country.

http://www.uschamber.com/sites/defau...s-2012-web.pdf

**Det_ard** · December-06-12, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Sorry, bub, facts refute your claim. Michigan leads in new manufacturing jobs - and by a WIDE margin of 30% - over runner-up Texas. And that isd info from the least labor-friendly organization in the country.

http://www.uschamber.com/sites/defau...s-2012-web.pdf

Selective reporting on your part. Think beyond one year, the year that happens to be one in which our auto manufacturing sector recovers slightly from the huge downturn. How many final assembly plants did Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru, VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz build in the US? And what percent of those were in Michigan? Answer to the last question is "0%".

**rb336** · December-06-12, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

Selective reporting on your part. Think beyond one year, the year that happens to be one in which our auto manufacturing sector recovers slightly from the huge downturn. How many final assembly plants did Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru, VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz build in the US? And what percent of those were in Michigan? Answer to the last question is "0%".

Talk about your selective reporting. The US CoC is a broad-based study, and it has produced similar results. Loss of manufacturing here was mostly due to federal government incentives for MOVING overseas [[also reported by CoC). The head of Electrolux actually said that that was the determining factor.