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Updated at 6:05 p.m. ET -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder called himself "one tough nerd" in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, fashioning himself as a pragmatic problem-solver who wouldn't delve into the divisive partisanship that had come to define some of his fellow Republicans.
Related: Michigan House passes right-to-work legislation
But now that Snyder has signed historic legislation making Michigan the nation's 24th right-to-work state, detractors will likely lump the governor with those firebrand Republicans, a distinction that he had long sought to avoid.
Gov. Rick Snyder, R-Mich., tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell that the right-to-work legislation will bring more work to his state and may be a "positive" to unions over time.
“I didn’t do this to get into the politics of it,” Snyder said on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon of the fight. He said the issue reached a “critical mass” after organized labor unsuccessfully pushed a ballot initiative this November that would have established a right to collective bargaining in the Michigan constitution.
Snyder had previously said that pursuing this legislation was not on his agenda. But Republicans in the statehouse, whose majorities in the House and Senate will be narrower next year due to the 2012 elections, revived the long-dormant proposal with Snyder's eventual blessing.
"Once we had the support that we had, the next step was convincing the governor that this was a good thing," said state Republican Rep. Marty Knollenberg, a primary sponsor of the bill in the House. "It certainly started from the legislature, and then it was presented to the governor … I think he was sort of taking a wait-and-see attitude. It wasn’t on his priority list, as he indicated."
But Snyder did ultimately embrace the law, and signed it into law on Tuesday evening. Whether he would be able to preserve his reputation as a non-ideologue is an open question.
The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus talks about the protests in Lansing, Michigan over the right-to-work legislation.
"I think he kind of decided he couldn’t string this out any longer. The idea that he had some sort of moment where he was converted in a blinding flash of light – I don’t think that’s the case," said Bill Ballenger, editor of the "Inside Michigan Politics" newsletter. "Here you’ve got Michigan looking, all of a sudden, far more extreme and aggressive that Scott Walker. Isn’t that ironic?"
Snyder enjoyed a 51 percent approval rating for Snyder in an early December EPIC-MRA poll; 48 percent of Michiganders said they had a negative impression of Snyder's performance as governor. The same poll found that Snyder had an edge over a generic Democratic challenger in 2014.
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But the state was much more divided on the question of whether the legislature should pursue right-to-work laws. While the EPIC-MRA poll found that Michiganders were generally supportive of the concept of those laws, they were evenly divided – 47 percent in favor, 46 percent against – on the question of whether Michigan should adopt such a law.
Dale G. Young / AP
Governor Rick Snyder presents his views on Michigan's future energy plans and how they merge with environmental and resource management issues at MSU's WK Kellogg Biological Station, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 near Hickory Corners, Mich.
Indeed, Snyder's decision to move forward with this proposal will inevitably invite parallels with GOP Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's work to push legislation that stripped public employees of their collective bargaining rights in early 2011. Like Michigan, Wisconsin is an industrial Midwestern state with a long tradition of unionism. And as with Wisconsin, Democrats and labor activists stormed the state capitol with unmet hopes of halting the changes to labor law.
“I think it’s important to make a distinction with Wisconsin and Ohio,” Snyder said on MSNBC. “That was about collective bargaining. That was about the relationship between employers and unions. This has nothing to do with that. Right-to-work has to do with the relationship between unions and workers.”
The bigger distinction might be the extent to which Michigan's fight was relatively bloodless. The fight in Wisconsin dragged out for days as Democrats in the state Senate went into hiding in Illinois to try to prevent a vote. And labor fought for months to recall Walker, an election which the Wisconsin governor survived this past June.
The right-to-work law moved much more quickly through Michigan's state government, giving opponents of the law barely any time to stop the bill. Even President Barack Obama's criticism of the law during a stop Monday in Detroit did little to halt the legislation's progress.
That sort of criticism could threaten to erode the reputation Snyder had built for himself during two years in office. Snyder, a former CEO of Gateway Computers, emerged from relative obscurity in 2010 to beat two well-known Republican challengers, Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Attorney General Mike Cox, in the primary on the strengths of his plain-spoken, jobs-oriented message.
Bob King, president of the United Auto Workers and Rev. Jesse Jackson share their reactions to the right-to-work legislation and the protests occurring because of it.
Snyder tried to burnish his bipartisan bona fides upon taking office by appointing former State House Speaker Andy Dillon, a Democrat who'd unsuccessfully sought his party's gubernatorial nomination in 2010, as his state treasurer. He had sought to build a new bridge between Detroit and Canada over the opposition of some Republicans, and resisted a GOP initiative to ban domestic partnership benefits for gay and lesbian couples before relenting.
Democrats and their allies in organized labor are sure now to redouble their efforts to beat Snyder in 2014, despite a relatively thin bench of challengers. More voters (40 percent) said they would be less likely to give Snyder a second term if he pursued right-to-work than those who said they would be more likely to re-elect the Republican.
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Bravo Gov. Snyder for giving workers the right to opt out of a union!
Snyder isn't hard to figure out. He raises taxes on seniors, wants to increase the gas tax, he's pro business, anti-democracy (see emergency managers), cut education and welfare, cut prison and police funding all while conducting himself in a quiet and congenial manner under the guise of moderation. In other words he's everything a modern day politician has to be whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Meanwhile, the state remains 46th in unemployment with a shrinking population, benefit expiration and a resurgence in the auto industry created by a federal bailout.
except for cutting welfare, that sounds just like Obama.
"Right-to-Work" laws are nothing but legalized union-busting. For those of you who spew vitriol against unions, look at the benefits they helped bring about over the years. Workplace safety, trade training and certification, retirement benefits for workers, and on... these didn't happen because companies thought they were a good idea. They were borne out of the idea that workers themselves needed to be responsible for their own well-being.
I have lived in the South...and frankly, if that is where we are headed, I want out. The Nissan plant in Jackson, MS? Rife with quality control problems (check issues with Titans and Armadas, for example). Would a union fix all of these? Not necessarily, but the union could have a role in assuring that workers have the proper training before quality becomes an issue. It really is supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
The idea that workers' concerns should be subjugated to the profit motive is one I find disturbing. This recovery has been relatively jobless largely because corporations are sitting on mountains of cash that they have made while wages remain stagnant (in real terms, they have been stagnant since the 70s). This corresponds with a bifurcation of productivity from wages around the same time. Productivity has been steadily rising while real wages have been roughly stagnant for the last THIRTY+ years. Prior to that? They tended to move in sync with each other.
(look up US productivity and real wages on Wikipedia or some other information site...can't post link apparently.)
For the record, I've never been a member of a union. But I think in judging the usefulness (or lack of, depending on perspective) of them, it helps to have some perspective.
Finally, if some of you would like to blame the unions for the downfall of the auto industry in Michigan, perhaps you should look at the decision-makers who allowed products to come to market like the nameplate-killing Aztek (bye bye Pontiac), the generally crappy 80s/90s cars from all US automakers (while foreign competitors were producing much higher-quality products), and a general lack of innovation in the field from US companies until maybe the last 5 years or so. Ford Taurus and Saturn were kings of the US auto world for a few years, but both companies completely failed to capitalize on that success and keep the lines current. These are roles that are not filled by union workers. Yet the effects were far more devastating than a labor dispute.
timorup you appear to be quite knowledgable about the auto industry, I have a question. What is the skill set of an assembly-line worker? Is there any other industry they can cross over to? My understanding is that they have limited skills, other than placing parts on bodies as they proceed down the line. If this is correct they are on par with a fry cook at Mickey D's. If they have other skills, why do they stay there?
I think you'd find that assembly-line workers are far from burger-flippers. I am not saying assembly line work is rocket science, but it does require some baseline skills that are not easily found in a typical HS grad. But we're not just talking about line workers. Warehousing, transportation, electricians, carpenters, masons, and on and on... the misconception that all union workers in the auto industry are on the assembly line is far from the truth.
Actual assembly has become largely mechanized, with assembly workers requiring the skills to troubleshoot robotics, programming, mechanical breakdowns, etc. Not to mention being trained in emergency management to a limited extent.
Why do they stay there? First, wages are decent although I don't think you'll find many rich union employees. Other than top union officials, few could probably afford the country club memberships their managers enjoy. Second, I think many actually take pride in what they produce. Our society is pretty jaded in that respect (produce more cheaper now!), but cars are part of the US identity and there is something unique about that industry.
Unions are a bunch of thugs. Why should anyone be forced into paying into a union. Sounds like extortion to me. Good for Mich, they need to move forward. The economy in Michigan is near the bottom, mostly due to the crime, unions, and government sucks.
I would agree the government sucks...we need to get rid of the republicans in 2014.
Democrats too.
I say we vote in all Independents.
so many people are dumb, they have no idea their wage is based on union wages. Look it up, you will find it. As years go by your wage will drop as the unions go to Right-to-work. So many people have no clue the wage they get is based on what unions workers make. Unions have gone over board, but doing away with them will hurt everyone s wage. Also just when has a republican really cared about the middle class, that alone should tell you what ever they do is NOT good for you. The GOP is for the big guy not your everyday American.
All this will do is make more Republicans looking for a job themselves in 2014. Seems the Republicans want to self destruct. The Right-to-work law will be gone in 2014 along with most the GOP.
You can no longer hide behind your GED!!!!
Hey Gary: What's wrong with a GED? To me it shows that someone tried to rectify a past poor decision.
Do you have any idea how many people get this degree and then go onto college? Didn't think so. Or are you one of those intellects that think only a 4 yr college party after high school is all that matters? What a snob!
A GED will no longer get you a job!!!
Oh yes it will, a good job no, but it will get one work. If motivated enough to get a GED then 9 times out of 10 motivated to seek a higher level of education.
Well Mich, I love ya to death but, you did vote him into office.. Maybe now you'll learn that if a candidate for office, has an (R) after there name. Stay far far away..
Why? Because Snyder cares that EVERYONE in the state have a right to work instead of just union members? Because he understands that people should not be forced to pay EXTORTION money just to have a job?
Unions in the past couple of decades have been the death of MILLIONS of jobs, forcing companies overseas, or simply putting them out of business. They've taken states to the edge of bankruptcy and literally BANKRUPTED cities.
While unions were great in this nation a hundred years ago. Today they are as bad as the organizations that they formed the original unions against.
Uncaring, greedy, with management people that live millionaire lifestyles on the backs of the workers themselves. Sound familiar?
It does sound familiar, but your comparison should be to the heads of these corporations without unions who have increased their salaries over 400 times that of the wages they are paying their employees. Look for that to get even worse in the coming years unless unions make a big comeback.
How much does the UAW president make, compared with a dues paying member?
Cowboy, $176,000, Senior Union Member $56,000 +, how about this one, Walmart CEO Compensation $18,000,000 per year, average Walmart Employee, $18,000 + -, Walmart employees on a whole get no over-time and are paid a subsistence wage and encouraged to seek Government assistance, food stamps and section 8 housing because they are paid so little they qualify, well documented. Walmart has been sucking the American taxpayer for all its worth and they make billions a year in profit but continue to stiff their employees and the American taxpayer.
@skyparrot
Sickening, isn't it...
Lil, it is indeed, worse yet its allowed to continue, the Feds., should bill Walmart for the etal, for bilking the US Taxpayer.
love to see that happen!!
Here you go Walmart! Here is the bill for your employees food stamps and housing assistance! Now, I have to run to Macy's for a new winter jacket, can you tell me how to get there?
Screw the unions and screw Nobama! How's that hopey changey thing working out for you? Which state is next to jump on the band wagon? Get it while it's hot...
Screw your mother too, while you're at it.
Go home Larry, mean nasty rant and so unnecessary.
Yesterday comrade obama sanctioned violence in Lansing, today a Michigan legislator proclaimed there will be blood in the street!!!
frank marshall davis and alinski would be so proud of comrade obama!!!!
How hard is a union skull???
Reich wing m o r o n FAIL
More like union =fail???
Gary, full of beans, the President didn't sanction anything of the kind, and oh, bye the bye, Frank Davis is dead, and if you are speaking of the 1948 letter he wrote, just consider the times in which it was written. Old news and old smear, usual low-down right wing speak.
As you know davis mentored obama for years!!!
obama's new era marxism, won't work in America!!!
40 years later when Davis was a Professor at Harvard, still full of beans.
While it is true that SOME union have gone too far with regard to some of the goodies, particularly retirement benefits. That doesn't mean unions need to be destroyed. Unions have a pressure from their members to get more and more for them. Unfortunately that ends up costing them that benefit and many others. GM employees found out the hard way. No problem with decent wages and safe working conditions, even some retirement benefits are okay but to retire at 50 with 100K a year for life (medical, just pay and other stuff included) is ridiculous.
How can people be so upset with freedom of choice but re-elect a person who did not have one budget for the government to operate from for four years? Who promises a payroll tax cut which reduces your social security funds so you have to work longer and receive less at retirement. Maybe your priorities are all screwed up. Or maybe you really don't pay attention to the government money matters, such as A123 Batteries. Are you worried about China?
"tough nerd" my @SS!
Snotty little punk in need of a good beating is more like it.
Ah yes, another "tolerant", "open", "progressive", "caring" union member heard from.
Why your ability to debate sets the perfect example for ALL Democrats calling for violence and ALL union members in the streets assaulting people that don't agree with them.
That's what this nation needs, more Democrat backed violence to go along with more union violence. We just don't have enough already.
Liberals are very tolerant of other people's viewpoints; as long as those viewpoints are the same as their own!
How right-to-work states measure up to the rest of the country
Of the 22 states with right-to-work laws, five of them [Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee] have no minimum wage requirement. Those states also have some of the highest poverty rates and lowest median incomes in the country.
Three right-to-work states [Georgia, Arkansas, and Wyoming] have a minimum wage that is less than the federal minimum [$7.25 per hour]. Georgia currently ranks 2nd in highest poverty rates and Arkansans have the 2nd lowest median income in the country.
Of the remaining 14 right-to-work states the low-wage, high poverty rate trend continues with few exceptions. Are there other factors? Yes. Population, household size, labor laws, cost of living, industry and the economy all play roles. Politics may also play a role: most of the right-to-work states are predominantly red states.
We do not intend to be known as a "red state". Let's get to work now on 2014.
Why does a state need a "minimum wage law", when there's ALREADY a Federal minimum wage?
And if you check with the FEDERAL Department of Labor, you'd find that "Federal minimum wage law SUPERSEDES state minimum wage law when the state minimum wage is lower than the Federal minimum wage". So DESPITE you claim that Georgia, Arkansas, and Wyomig minimum wage "is less than Federal"...they are required by LAW to pay the Federal minimum wage. Oh, and by the way, Minnesota is also BELOW Federal minimum wage......Do your research in the right places instead of some left wing, union backing, blog site that you think somehow "proves" your point.
And if you check, the UNION dominated states like California, New York, Nevada and MICHIGAN have the highest unemployment rates in the NATION, and that doesn't even count the MILLIONS that have given up even finding a job. And the poverty levels in states like California and Nevada are HIGHER than any "right to work" state you speak of.
I'll take the RIGHT to have a job without paying extortion money to unions EVERY day of the week. I'll take the RIGHT to actually have a job without threats of violence from unions if I don't join EVERY day of the week. I'll take the RIGHT to negotiate my own pay and benefits, without union greed involved, EVERY day of the week.
You apparently don't have the ability to work without paying a kickback to the union for your job. And you sure don't have the ability to do anything other than repeat what you're told to instead of doing YOUR OWN research.
Indiana is a right-to-work state and they just announced today that they are adding thousands of jobs statewide. If non right to work states are so business friendly why is Detroit in the toilet?
Can you please post the cost of living indexes on those states too....
In other news, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee have always been crappy states to live in since the Civil War. Historically their wages have been extremely low, like I'm talking Slave labor wages. *Sarcasm* I just love it when people make spurious conclusions to fit their agenda.
Cheryl, you forgot to mention that for the first time probably in california's modern history, more people left than came into california - they are effectively chasing everyone with any money out of california with several tax measures just passed, and more on the way.. cali is a case study for liberalism run amok..
ICF, run amok with the governator or has the state always been run in the muck, ya think?
As I recall, there is a recall movement against Snyder. Does anybody know where that is?
Failed!!!
People decided not to go for it after Scott Walker won his fight in Wisconsin. My guess is we'll shoot for a change in the guard in 2014.....
The "Slimey Snyder" has now made Michigan another Right To Be Whipped" State. He used a familiar Teabegger tactic of "Distract and Attack." Michigan needs to vote out these Teabeggers in 2014, and try to get some rights back for all the workers. So far the Teabeggers love to be 'whipped' on a daily basis at work. They do not want more money for the work they do! Really? The Teabeggers want no health care benefits from where they work. Really? The Teabeggers want no pension. Really? WOW!
The union taking their lead from comrade obama, simply over reached???
Progressive........Ah yes, more filth from the left. Nothing FACTUAL, just the usual fearmongering, hate filled, filth filled, name calling garbage that you "elitists" think makes you look "intelligent".
Guess what genius, we've NEVER been union, despite threats of violence and even death threats from the UNIONS we refused to join or back.
We've got a PENSION, we've got a HEALTH CARE PLAN, and we make pretty good money, ALL OF IT without paying extortion money to unions.
We actually WORKED for what we have instead of smoking dope and drinking during our lunch hours and having the union protect us. We EARNED what we have instead of having the union DESTROY the company that we work for and put us out of work simply so a few could make a lot and the rest make NOTHING.
progressives in calif are really regressive - calif been run by liberals and progressives for decades and we are dead last in schools, highest unemployment, highest homeless and have more folks on govt assistance than any other state - and all run by progressives and their union buddies..
But the view is nice ICF lol
cheryl, favorite word for the day-filth, your rage and anger must consume a good portion of your soul, try to let go of some of it, you'll feel better.
Snyder may well be our next President. We will see how the rest of his term plays out.
American students 17 and 25th in math and science,
teachers union fail!!!
Snyder may well be our next President. We will see how the rest of his term plays out.
Detroit one more union failure!!!
great day for america! although i dont understand why these folks are so upset about it - this is going to create a lot of jobs and opportunity in that state, guess they just can't see that - fear of the unknown i guess..
I don't know much about unions because I never have been affiliated with a union, but I do know something about business owners in a "right to work" state. I don't know which one is worst..!
Texas is a "right to work" state, I worked for a small private business for several years, it was the worst job I ever had. The owner even BRAGGED about Texas is a "right to work" state as if that was some sort of protection for his numerous abuses to his employees, including lying and taking money out of our pay checks as if we had full health insurance, verbal, sexual, and discriminatory abuses, and just outright firing you if he didn't like you. Only then when I got sick and tired of this bull @!$%#, that I started recording every engagement (bad or good) we had about work, this fool even included personal. I also let him know up front that I was taping our engagements and he was very closed to a major lawsuit against him and his actions, in fact there was already several complaints filed with EEOC (another useless organization), but this employer continued to boast that Texas was a "right to work" state. Thank God I finally got hired at a better job with benefits and definitely better pay, in fact its a government job, I will never go back to working for a small private business owned by an azzhole in a state like Texas. People need to remember why they have a 40 hour work week, vacation days, health insurance, no child labor, and a minimum wage among many other benefits provided by the blood, sweat, and tears of unions. I never seen a business owner march in favor of better benefits and better pay for workers. Good Luck to the people of Michigan.
We used to heat with the wood we chopped but we moved on???
Of course Gary and bought that wood at the company store, plus had to rent the wood burner at the same store. Used the latrine located behind the shack, owned by the company and charge extra for the privilege. jeez.
I would mind "Right to Work" laws if those who sweated and paid for Union Representation were the only ones in the workforce to enjoy the 40 Hr workweek, Time and a Half, Vacations etc. All these were hard fought and won by organized, Unionized Labor. I was a Union Steward in a "Right to Work" situation and those who touted 'Right to Work' were also the cheapest low-lifes in the workplace. They all wanted the benefits of what we had won without paying dues.
If people who do not pay dues had to negotiate their own benefits and pay, they would sign up in a hurry. If nothing else, companies would not want to negotiate with potentially hundreds of employees individually.
One of my fondest memories, is of the day I fired a union steward!!!
Gary - I've done that too when he wasn't doing his job, but I also referred my employees to their steward when I knew their employment rights were being stomped on - and my employer knew I did it and were fine with it. Sometimes, the union is the employers best friend
Oh, so they can be fired? I thought you righties tell everyone union workers can never be fired! Now, because you enjoyed firing a worker, you just let the cat out of the bag, for your personal enjoyment of firing a lousy worker? Was he lousy because of the union, or was he ignorant, like you?
Jack - in my field at least union stewards were regular employees with real jobs and job duties. Of course when you challenge someone who is steward you are immediately accused of targeting them due to their union affiliation. It takes time, and a lot of documentation, but it is possible - and especially necessary when the union role model is lazy, incompetent, insubordinate and/or downright dishonest. Unions are required by contracts to often defend the employment rights of people they can't stand and don't blame you for wanting to fire.
Most supervisors are to lazy and can't be bothered with the proper documentation!!!
Gary, what's wrong with you, hate management and hate workers---over-seers with whips more to your liking? jeez louise.
Read a while back in Wisconsin that the teachers union was having a hard time getting dues from a lot of the membership due to Wisconsin telling the union to collect their own dues, dues will not be held from teachers paychecks. Says alot about solidarity.
When they can't get even a COLA raise, when their benefits are stripped, when they have no job security, they will wake up. Its unfortunate that employees have to fight this fight all over again but maybe the unions will change their focus from protecting mediocrity to empowering advancement, innovation and excellence.
So this is the republican response to a state constitutional amendment that the voters rejected anyway. How is this not ideological? Snyder may want to be perceived as bipartisan (or nonpartisan or post partisan - whatever) but I think he just blew his cover.
For the greed of the rich, our nation will be lost to the excesses of profit margins, by an elite financed GOP, willing to serve their craven masters, or too stupid to know any better!
Jack would you be so kind as to determine for U.S., the allowable profit margins and the amount of wealth individuals and corporations would be able maintain???
Snyder, one and done. Did you enjoy being Governor?