Today the Michigan Senate passed bills undermining Michigan’s ability to successfully transition its economy at the speed of technological change. To compete for future investment with other states and nations, Michigan must create an environment that is attractive for investment. The Senate’s action, passed on a straight party-line vote, repeals Michigan’s decade-long Right-to-Work policy and reverses Michigan’s attractiveness for new jobs and economic growth.

As an organization we have tirelessly advocated for a business-friendly environment and, since December 2021, Michigan’s aggressive efforts to draw new transformational investment successfully attracted $17 billion in new private capital investment that will create 15,500 new jobs. Now, eliminating Right-to-Work will undermine future attraction efforts as companies compare other states and nations to make their investments. We will join 22 other states without Right-to-Work that are also losing the competition to bring in new jobs, technology and talented workers. Our aggressive and successful incentive efforts will be neutralized going forward as Michigan moves down the list of states considered for new investment.

MMA will continue to call on policymakers to communicate clearly to manufacturing investors, both existing manufacturing companies and those outside Michigan, that Michigan is open for business and that we have the right skilled workforce to make their investments successful in the face of global competition. Repealing Right-to-Work moves Michigan in the wrong direction.

Stay up-to-date on the status of this legislation at MMA’s Right-to-Work Action Center. For questions, contact MMA’s Dave Worthams at 517-487-8511 or worthams@mimfg.org