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Michigan is headed back to Rust Belt poverty
Washington Examiner ^ | March 17, 2023 01:29 AM | Stephen Moore

Posted on 03/17/2023 5:31:36 AM PDT by Chad C. Mulligan

Since the early days of Henry Ford, Michigan was the proud symbol of America’s industrial might.

But then, starting in the 1970s, things went south — in part because of the might of the unions that ran the state’s political machine. That’s when Michigan transitioned into the sad symbol of closed factories: the American “Rust Belt.” Flint, Michigan, became a ghost town.

From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Detroit lost nearly half its population. Whole neighborhoods were bulldozed, and homes were selling for less than $10,000 as poor and minority residents fled the area's crime, lousy schools, high unemployment, and political corruption.

If you traveled to Florida or Arizona, you saw lots of Michigan license plates.

But then, Michigan began to reform itself with tax cuts and leaner and cleaner government. One big reform was Michigan became a "right to work" state. The state went through an amazing economic renaissance. According to the American Legislative Exchange Council's "Rich States, Poor States" report (which I co-wrote), few states rose on economic competitiveness faster than the home of the Wolverines. Prosperity returned.

Now the shine is off the engine. The Democrats took back control of the politics in the state, and the first thing they did was repeal "right to work" — a big wet kiss to the union bosses for all those campaign contributions.

"Right to work" is the law of the land in 26 states. These laws do not prohibit unions. There are many unions in these states. "Right to work" simply means that workers cannot be compelled to join a union.

Democrats are falsely advertising this as a restoration of workers' rights. That’s a bald-faced lie. Now, to keep your job in Michigan, you must join the union, and you must pay dues to the union bosses. The United Auto Workers union has been plagued with corruption, including massive pay packages to the union leaders.

This bill will not only take away the right to choose from Michigan workers, but it will also do great damage to the state’s economy. States that have "right to work" laws create jobs at almost twice the pace of states with forced union policies.

Many businesses won’t even consider locating a new factory or blue-collar operation in a forced union state. The auto jobs in America will now accelerate their move to the Southern states, which happen to be "right to work."

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), a stooge of the unions, will sign the bill into law. And Michigan is about to see a return to the Rust Belt era.

Here is what's really telling. The Communist Party of America put out a press release celebrating the demise of "right to work" in Michigan. They note correctly that Michigan is now the first state in more than half a century to turn back the clock and force union chains on workers. Most states have been moving in the opposite direction.

What is sadly ironic about this endorsement is that throughout the 20th century, the unions in America were staunchly anti-communist. It was Lech Walesa, the Polish union organizer, who stood up to the evil communist government that tried to outlaw unions. He and President Ronald Reagan and the AFL-CIO helped defeat the evil empire.

Now the communists in America cheer on the unions as they sow the seeds of their own demise — as well as the demise of a once-mighty state.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: breakdown; economy; left; michigan; poverty; uaw; unions
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

I had an uncle who worked for GM in the late 60’s. He was a brand new employee and they gave him some mundane job to do assembling something the line would install. They showed him how to assemble the part, where to put them when completed and walked out of this room and left him.

About 6hrs into the shift the foreman comes in and checks on him and goes bezerk! What have you done he yelled! What my boss told me to do he replied, I assembled these for the line. The foreman goes storming off cursing and brings in my uncles boss cussing every breath and says look! My uncles boss says you have assembled enough of these for the entire week, you are only supposed to make 5-6 of these an entire shift and you have 30-35 of them! The foreman said hide these from management and work an extra in every night and looked at my uncle and said 5 a night understand and stormed out. Union thugs...


21 posted on 03/17/2023 10:30:35 AM PDT by sarge83
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To: Repeat Offender

My brother inspects for his company for potential EPA violations they may incur during their routine inspections. He found Some debris and fifty gallon drums in an area that had dangerous contamination. He had it roped off and submitted a clean up asap order through the chain of command, high priority as the state inspection agency and EPA were coming in five or six weeks for an inspection and it was easily over a $100K fine for the company. Those that were supposed to clean it up were union employees.

Two weeks go by and nothing is done, my brother submitted a follow up inquiry as to why this wasn’t being cleaned up through the chain of command. Another three weeks go by with an inspection eminent and he finally goes to his supervisor and says if they walk in here you are looking at a huge fine, plus they will see management was told this was an issue and probably penalties. The management dithered about saying I can’t get them to clean it up, I’ve told them.

My brother said fine, I’ll get it done and pulled his team in and they suited up, prepped their equipment and moved in and started the clean up. After a couple of hours the head union thug showed up and demanded they cease their activities this was a union job. My brother looked at his team and said continue and finish this up and looked at the union thug and said I submitted a clean up order nearly six weeks ago and follow up requests and you lazy bastards haven’t even replied. We have an inspection in two days and I’m not going to lose $200K in fines because of you sorry cracks. Get off my work site! The foreman was furious, I’ll file a complaint on you! My brother said that will take some effort and work out of you so I’m not worried about you filing a complaint, get out of here.

The EPA and state showed up the next morning, inspected and they got a clean bill of health. The union thug filed his complaint and it fell on deaf ears. Before my brother moved on to another position he had several complaints filed by the union thugs. They hated him and he returned their feelings.


22 posted on 03/17/2023 10:44:50 AM PDT by sarge83
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I have a good union story. I was an electronic tech many moons ago. I was building a device that required specialized 3 phase electrical inputs and outputs. The design engineer told my boss to order 3 phase connectors from a local distributor. My boss decided to go against the design engineer wishes and buy the connectors from the local university stores. The local electrician union rep was in my shop before my boss got back to the shop with the connectors.


23 posted on 03/17/2023 11:10:16 AM PDT by EVO X ( )
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To: sarge83
Wow, good union story. It fits all the others people have posted. Good for your brother's dedication, initiative and refusing to be bullied by the union goons!

My folks moved to Downingtown, PA about 35 miles west of Philadelphia when I graduated from high school in 1969 and I spent my college summers with them. During my last summer with them (1972) a huge labor dispute erupted between unions and the James Leon Altemose construction company.

Wiki --> Altemose owned and headed the non-union development and construction company and believed that employees should have the right to choose if they wanted to belong to a trade union. Altemose wanted to employ at least a portion of trade employees as non-union. The unions thought otherwise.

A thousand construction workers arrived at his Valley Forge, PA construction site at dawn on June 5, 1972 in cars and buses chartered by Roofers Local Union No. 30. More than $300,000 of property damaged occurred, including firebombing of equipment and construction trailers. Fire trucks were not allowed to respond because of the chaos at the site. The destruction would continue until midday when the state police arrived in riot gear. On August 17, 1972, Altemose was assaulted by two dozen men in downtown Philadelphia. The protests were estimated to have cost Altemose more than $2 million. They would delay, but not halt, the completion of construction as the hotel would eventually open in September 1973.

Altemose received the Award of Excellence in 1973 from Engineering News-Record for his work for the right of contractors to work open shop. The cover of the February 15, 1973 ENR magazine announcing the award showed Altemose and his armed bodyguard.

That was the first time I ever encountered unions (that I recall) and, although I was not personally involved, I remember the violence and arson that summer very clearly (it was front page news in the papers). It was only a couple years later I encountered the union problems in Washington and Arizona.
24 posted on 03/17/2023 12:10:57 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (The government's lying liars love to lie)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

People who paid ANY attention:

Biden campaigned on “EVERY JOB SHOULD BE A UNION JOB”.


25 posted on 03/17/2023 1:23:23 PM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Vision

<>Michigan voted themselves back to failure<>

Don’t be so sure. In 2020, Detroit oozed fraud.


26 posted on 03/17/2023 2:26:50 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

They can be nothing more than mafia like thugs with their behavior. I had a friend who was ex-military and worked for the Company in the 80’s. He left that type of work and decided to open a coal company in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, non union company. He came in one morning and the whole site was at a stand still. He had visitors from the local UMWA on site and they came in bullying the other employees and told them until they went union they were not working.

My friend looked at his people and said get back to work I’ll take care of this, now and they did. The union thugs started in with their threats on him personally. Having combat experience and 3rd world experiences he said you get off my worksite now. They made personal threats of things that would happen to him and he said get off this worksite and don’t ever set foot here again or they will carry you off and as far as your threats I have been shot at before and I shoot back. If I have to drive here and home shooting you SOB’s each way that is fine by me, please. They left and left him and his company alone. Pure thugs.


27 posted on 03/17/2023 6:47:51 PM PDT by sarge83
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To: sarge83

Good for him. Lucky they didn’t come back to get serious. The Philly incident I wrote about was very serious with major arson, destruction of equipment (close to $1 million today) and assault.


28 posted on 03/17/2023 7:01:17 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (The government's lying liars love to lie)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Except for the steaming wreck Willard the Rat left of Massachusetts.


29 posted on 03/18/2023 12:10:57 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (America Owes Anita Bryant An Enormous Apology)
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To: vetvetdoug

Must be where all the Demonrats in Hardin County are. It’s otherwise an 85% Republican voting county.

As an aside, Demonrats have no business owning guns. They want no one to have Second Amendment rights and they commit most of the crimes.


30 posted on 03/18/2023 12:19:06 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (America Owes Anita Bryant An Enormous Apology)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

It would have been bad for both sides had they came back. This guy would have killed them without hesitation and they probably fired back.

I have a friend who’s grandfather was the target of a union hit at one point decades ago. The had set up the hit and he happened to go home a different way that day is the only thing that saved him. Some of his friends were not so lucky.


31 posted on 03/18/2023 7:31:09 AM PDT by sarge83
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To: Jacquerie
...actually 2018.

Your rank and file sh tlib is just going along for the ride, thinking they've won something(culture war, etc)...meanwhile the hierarchy/ruling class are moving the chess pieces, the useful idiots (sh tlibs) will be disposed of (like us) when they are no longer needed.

Who would have thought, a country that took so much bloodshed and sacrifice to create, could be taken without firing a shot. Control the institutions, infiltrate the legal system, manipulate the masses...checkmate.

32 posted on 03/18/2023 7:47:35 AM PDT by RckyRaCoCo (Please Pray For My Brother Ken.)
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To: Bonemaker
If you traveled to Florida or Arizona, you saw lots of Michigan license plates.

Conservatives escaping democrat hellholes are always welcome in Florida... Liberals need to stay in Michigan.

33 posted on 03/18/2023 8:02:13 AM PDT by GOPJ (Hunter Biden's BS about "seed loot"? Only people stupid enought to belive him are press bimbos.)
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