Democratic nominee for governor Jocelyn Benson warned UAW members that Republican nominee John James would roll back a hard-fought victory for labor unions by reinstating Michigan’s right-to-work laws.
Michigan became the first state to repeal its right-to-work law in 2023, when Democrats used their then-new trifecta in Lansing to axe the law, which had prohibited requiring union membership as a condition of employment.
James said in April that reinstating the law would be “a massive win for freedom.”
“The only people opposed to it are those who think they know how to spend our money better than we do,” James said in a social media post.
Benson told UAW members attending the Community Action Program Conference in Lansing that it’s evidence James doesn’t stand with workers.
“I’ll always work to keep you safe in the workplace, to stand with you as you fight for a fair contract, to call out corporate greed, to stop plant closures,” Benson said.
Benson tied James to President Donald Trump’s previous calls to fire striking workers.
“Why on Earth could we trust him to stand up for any of us … at any moment when there’s a job for governor that demands every single day that the governor stands up for you,” Benson said.
UAW President Shawn Fain said reinstating right-to-work would amount to union busting.
“Him and his corporate donors want to weaken our movement,” Fain said. “They see our strength, and they’re scared.”
