Should Michigan Become a Right-to-Work State?

According to a BLS report released today,the number of persons belonging to a union fell by 326,000 in 2006, and union membership fell to just 12% percent of employed wage and salary workers, down from 12.5% a year earlier. Union membership has steadily declined from 20.1% in 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available.

Union membership in Michigan declined by 38,000 workers in 2006, falling below 20% of the workforce for the first time (see historical data here), and Michigan overall employment was flat in 2006. In contrast, 7 of the 8 states that experienced nonfarm employment growth of 3% more in 2006 were states with right-to-work laws that prohibit forced union dues or fees.