A new poll shows Michiganders are deeply divided over the state’s new right-to-work law. The law takes effect today.
Under Michigan’s right-to-work law, workers can't be forced to join a union.
Michigan State University’s “State of the State Survey” asked more than a thousand people whether they thought Right to Work would be good for Michigan’s economy.
42.7 percent said it would be good. 41 percent said it would be bad. 16 percent said the right-to-work law would have no effect on Michigan’s economy.
Economist Charles Ballard is the survey’s director. He says right to work supporters tend to be overwhelmingly white, male, non-union conservatives, while opponents tend to be overwhelmingly minority, female, pro-union liberals.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the public is split. I think the public really is split and these survey results are a fairly accurate reflection of that,” says Ballard.
As an economist, Ballard thinks right-to-work will have little effect on Michigan’s economy.
“And on that basis, I’m thinking this issue probably will not go away,” says Ballard.
Michigan is the 24th state to adopt a right-to-work law.
