“The effort to establish mandated leave threatens to turn back the clock on the manufacturing-driven success Michigan’s economy has achieved since 2009; including nation-leading manufacturing job creation,” said Chuck Hadden, MMA president & CEO. “By mandating the most expensive employment requirements in the country, Michigan employers will be forced to make choices about pay and benefits and the number of people they can afford to employ under this requirement.”

The coalition of job creators also fear the hidden details of the paid leave mandate will have negative repercussions on employee health care, vacation time, overtime, bonuses and other popular benefits.

“Many employers that already provide better leave benefits than those mandated in this proposal may be forced to pull back on those benefits to defray the additional administrative and operational costs of these additional requirements,” said Mike Johnston, MMA vice president of government affairs. “These kinds of mandates make Michigan less competitive for new jobs and investment when compared to other states. If people naively think this will result in more and better benefits, they are rolling the dice with their jobs. The more people in Michigan learn about this proposal the less likely they will support it.”

The mandated leave proposal will now go through a review process by the Election Bureau to determine if it meets the signature and other requirements necessary to find a place on the November ballot.

MMA supports the Small Business for a Better Michigan coalition, an organization of state job providers that seeks to educate voters about the paid sick leave ballot proposal and how it will harm employers, cost jobs, and lead to benefit cuts for workers. Members of the coalition include the Michigan Manufacturers Association, Small Business Association of Michigan, National Federation of Independent Business, Michigan Restaurant Association, Home Builders Association of Michigan, Michigan Retailers Association, Associated Builders & Contractors of Michigan, Michigan Freedom Fund, Americans for Prosperity, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and many more that are joining every day.

This article originally appeared in the 5/30/18 issue of MFG Voice.

Contact Brianna Mills

Strategic Partnerships Manager
Call 517-487-8523
E-mail mills@mimfg.org