OPCMIA General President Kevin Sexton issued the following statement:
“On behalf of the OPCMIA’s nearly 50,000 members, I want to congratulate the 20 Michigan state senators who voted to repeal the state’s so-called ‘right to work’ law and to restore the state’s prevailing wage law.
“These two urgently-needed actions will lift up Michigan workers’ living standards, expand the middle class, make workplaces safer, and strengthen workers’ rights.
“We know this because workers in ‘right to work’ states earn $6,109 less, on average, than workers in states without these awful laws — and because workplace death rates are 49 percent higher in ‘right to work’ states.
“We also know that construction jobs in states with prevailing wage laws have higher wages, stronger health insurance coverage, and far better retirement security than in states without such laws.
“These bold actions demonstrate that elections have a direct impact on the well-being of working men and women. By helping to elect pro-worker majorities to the Michigan House and Senate last fall, and helping to re-elect Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who will sign these two laws, OPCMIA’s Michigan Locals and the entire Michigan labor movement made a profound, positive difference in the lives of our members.
“We thank all of these pro-worker elected officials for fulfilling their promises and delivering for Michigan’s working families.”
