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AFL-CIO: Right-to-work not right for Michigan

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    Union fight over new legislation

  • Duration 6:39
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Back to Michigan now where heated pro union protests took -- physical turn.

After Fox News contributor was punched in the face in this crowd Stephen Crowder.

Spent the day questioning the demonstrators asking them about the new right to work law that they have close.

And then it got heated and this started crying and it -- happen.

No way tempers really running hot in that crowd.

The new law that they passed yesterday in Michigan that got these folks so fired up and it allows workers.

To opt out of belonging to union and to not have to pay the -- news.

If they don't want any part of the union and they working union shops.

I'm joined now by Alison -- is a director of communications for the AFL CIO house and welcome thanks for coming today.

Thanks for having me well why why do you think that you know that the violence started to break out in that scene and and is that is it useful to the -- was.

Yeah I you know obviously we don't condone any violence in any case but what's really a shame here and there are thousands of people yesterday in Michigan.

Coming out and saying that right to work is not the right policy for -- yet for Michigan and and that's what this is really about people are frustrated and unhappy that this divisive politics is what happened yesterday -- Governor Snyder signed into law.

Let's doesn't Governor Snyder on on why he wanted to see this past -- This is about freedom to choose.

And workers should have the option if they're -- value they should be excited to during the unit and they -- -- If they see no value why should they put financial resources to do something that has no value to them.

So that's a big part of it is standing up for workers.

Yes I mean ask the question if you work for a company and he gets unionized and and you don't agree with their politics or you don't agree with the way they did things.

Why should you automatically get that money taken out of your paycheck whether you like it or not.

Yet governor senator sounds like George Orwell in this case what's really happening is that people choose every -- to be any union they choose to come together with their coworkers.

Talk with their bosses about.

Pay act lady working conditions things that mattered in Indiana -- when that mean we know that that's that that's true for many people it's a shrinking number of people.

Well the question is not that the question is what if I wanna work for a company but I don't want to be in the union why should I have to pay union did -- why.

You are a key vehicle for people to come together and have a voice on the job -- what happens -- we can do that is.

Were more powerful advocate for safe working conditions.

Fair wages health care all the things that are important to working families and that's what the labor movement's about and that's what Governor Snyder and the Republicans in the state legislator to the lack.

I yesterday -- here we're talking about freedom you know freedom pitches freedom to not have money taken out of your paycheck if you.

Don't think that the union is providing that every that that's what I think he's getting -- he's saying you know the unions in his opinion and -- -- apparently in and other folks system and about -- we've seen now 24 states go this way.

Feel like the union may be used to do a lot for them but that they're not providing the value that that they have to pay out of their paycheck for -- say -- -- I don't really want to pay that.

Yeah you know what's really important here is that.

Working people come together to have a voice on the job to advocate for safe working conditions -- hang out since -- give me but you're giving me the same answer.

Every time and the truth is that what I'm asking you is.

Why is it that an -- an individual can't opt out what's wrong with that what's wrong with fat.

What's wrong with that is that first of all it's not -- the -- you can always we don't have to be a union member but what's really important here is still day -- is if you don't -- -- -- right to -- -- so what's wrong with.

Opting out of paying dues as my question specifically.

You know teachers nurses firefighters all of the people who are union members -- recognize that -- union is the way and win every one.

In that night -- -- -- -- -- and more powerful and I try to get this another way that Indiana your neighbor who became a right to work state.

They had and pick up an addition of thirteen point 9000.

Manufacturing jobs that they added when it became a right to work stay under governor Daniels.

During that same period of time Michigan lost 7000 jobs we also have full screens that we can put up on the screen that -- that people working right to work states actually make more money.

And there's a higher.

Employment rate lower unemployment rate.

In the right to work states so so make your argument based on those actual facts and specific numbers that show that it's working well for people in the state.

It's sure -- match your numbers for mine working people in a right to work state earned 15100.

Dollars when all of the other factors are adjusted.

Then people who are not in a right to work state according to a study released yesterday by the Economic Policy Institute.

The reason that it at the right to work status and Indiana's not why those jobs came to Indiana.

And just ask the auto workers who worked very careful very closely with the Big Three over the last several years.

To save the American auto industry together working people through their unions and their employers can advocate for good jobs and -- good at.

-- -- -- really glad handing -- the numbers are what they aren't we know that that employment is is higher.

In right to work states wages are higher in right to work states which we just -- And and we still haven't answered the very basic question which is it's off -- this is not right to work.

Stages that death 49495.

Dollars -- right to work states which is 42000.

460.

Fat so in the in the that's the annual average.

So that -- that number is higher but the other -- of the employment number is better in the right to work states but let me let me just ask you one more time.

If you want to what is wrong with somebody opting out it you know it's people enjoy all the benefits -- you talk about than they -- actually pay it changes.

But what if they don't want to.

It people can but what's important here is that when -- the important thing is that union members' individual union members.

-- so that people can eat through the union advocates on their behalf and that's what's really important here and that's why.

Employers and is Republican legislators and the Coke Brothers -- -- week and that.

Because people a lot of voice on the job and not for or advocating they want they are certainly absolutely preach it to have that voice Alison thank you.

Really hot topic and we appreciate you coming in today thanks a lot thanks.

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