Obama criticizes Michigan right-to-work bills

December 10, 2012 3:45 PM

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REDFORD, Mich. (AP) – President Barack Obama says right-to-work legislation in Michigan is more about politics than economics. He is criticizing a measure that would prevent requiring non-union employees to financially support unions at their workplace.

Obama received loud applause at a Michigan engine plant when he said we shouldn’t be “taking away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions.”

The president says that the right-to-work bills are more about “giving you the right to work for less money.”

The Michigan House and Senate approved the legislation last week. Democrats have urged Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to veto the measure that he has pledged to sign.

The Republican-controlled Legislature is expected to take final action on the bills as early as Tuesday.

Duh!!

What is wrong with someone willing to do the job for less money in order to get a job and not be forced to pay into a union? It is called supply and demand. Right now, there is a large supply of workers.

Let’s do the math.
You have 2 union workers getting paid $15/hr to do a job. The union takes $3/hr from their check, so they are effectively only making $12/hr.
There are 3 workers that are willing to do the same job for $10/hr.
So the company pay $30/hr and either gets 2 union workers or 3 non-union workers. The company can get 150% more work done in a day with 3 workers instead of 2.
The non-union workers see this as only a $2 pay cut versus a union worker, plus they spend less in taxes as the union worker is taxed at the $15/hr rate instead of the actual $12/hr the worker in reality makes.