Levin Statement on 'Right to Work' Legislation
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
WASHINGTON – Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., issued the following statement today on Gov. Rick Snyder’s statements indicating that he will sign so-called 'right to work' legislation that passed today in the Michigan Legislature:
"I have previously criticized Gov. Snyder for his sudden, last-minute change of position on so-called 'right to work' legislation. His switch directly contradicts his promise to avoid divisive issues and his promise to bring Michiganians together. That reversal was bad enough. Now, he is misleading Michigan voters when he says these bills are designed to protect workers from being required to join a union, or that they 'give workers freedom to choose who they associate with.' They already have those protections in current law, and after our meeting yesterday, Gov. Snyder full well knows it.
"For millions of Michigan workers, this is no ordinary debate. It’s an assault on their right to have their elected bargaining agent negotiate their pay, benefits and working conditions, and to have all who benefit from such negotiations share in some way in the cost of obtaining them.
"The governor’s reversal and his misleading language aren’t about workers. It’s about politics. It is deeply unfortunate that the governor and other Republicans in Lansing have put politics ahead of the collective bargaining rights of Michigan workers."