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REDFORD, MICH. – President Barack Obama traveled Monday to Michigan to tout a new investment in domestic auto jobs, while using the opportunity to assail the state's Republican lawmakers for pursuing "right to work" legislation.
With three weeks to go to avoid the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama will travel to a Detroit auto plan and attempt to sell his plan to raise taxes on the top two percent of Americans.
Obama renewed his offensive to pressure Republicans into extending middle class tax cuts, calling on Congress to pass legislation making the Bush-era tax rates for those making below $250,000 permanent.
But this trip to the Detroit-area came with some extra baggage in the form of a state-wide union battle over a right-to-work law that Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder (R) has pledged to sign. The president addressed the union controversy towards the middle of his remarks:
"We should do everything we can to encourage companies like Daimler to keep investing in American workers," Obama said, "what we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions."
Related: Lawmakers implore Michigan gov. to halt or delay 'right to work' law
The audience responded enthusiastically as the president continued: "These so-called right-to-work laws, they don't have to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics. What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money."
While Snyder did not join the president for his event at the Daimler-owned Detroit Diesel Corporation, the governor did greet Obama on the tarmac along with some of the Democratic members of Michigan’s congressional delegation.
Snyder had a meeting with many members of the Michigan delegation earlier today to discuss the legislation, which would make mandatory payment of union dues or fees as a condition of employment illegal. On the flight to Michigan, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney noted that the president’s opposition to right-to-work laws was “well known” and the optics of this were brought even more into focus by the president being accompanied on his tour of the engine plant by the UAW NW Local 163 Detroit Diesel Engine Unit Shop Chairperson Mark Gibson, and multiple people in the crowd sporting UAW stickers. Currently, 23 states and Guam have some type of right-to-work legislation on the books.
Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images
President Barack Obama speaks on the economy and fiscal cliff negotiations after touring the Daimler Detroit Diesel Plant in Redford, Michigan, December 10, 2012.
But while the president was on the tour of the Redford engine plant, the clock continued to tick towards the end of the year and the so-called fiscal cliff. Obama again insisted that tax rates on the wealthiest Americans should be allowed to go up,
"What you need is a package that keeps taxes where they are for middle-class families," he said. "We make some tough spending cuts on things that we don't need, and then we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay a slightly higher tax rate. And that's a principle I won't compromise on."
He didn’t mention his meeting over the weekend with House Speaker John Boehner, choosing instead to focus the blame on Congress if taxes go up for everyone at the end of the year.
"If Congress doesn't act soon -- meaning in the next few weeks -- starting on Jan. 1, everybody's going to see their income taxes go up. It's true,” the president said. The audience loudly booed and the president responded, “You all don't like that.”
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Crushedu, You are correct--meant to say voters "approve" of it. I stand by my post.
I was born in Detroit and have retired with a pension thanks to Unions. This Snyder is making me have to change my residency due to other horrible legislation he signed. We voted down his EFM takeover of our democracy as a proposion on election day. He lied when he said this Right to work for poverty "wages' was never on his agenda. Unions are democracy in the work place which benefits ALL workers. RTW states need more federal assistance than union states. We will NOT give up this fight against snyder's Fascism brought to us by his crony capitalists who want to "WallMartize" all workers. We will fight and NEVER stop!
to yes siree bobby
and the rest of the country is really hot to join you in Detorit. what a mess for a city of which my guess is you have left for suburbia. don't stop the fight, just don't move to Iowa. God bless the UAW.
The corporate push with help from ALEC members have poisoned the state governments.
The corporate buisess model IS Walmart; pay every on a part time basis low enough wages that will not allow them to live; therefore require them to go on welfare because their earning are so low they are below poverty level.
Just another in a long line of examples of Republican's Privatize for Profit and Socialize the Risk - or in this case socialize what should be their costs. Cost's now transferred to the public.
Good Job guys....why don't you give yourselves another bonus you earned it.
Right to Work...HA! Nothing like putting the context into a POV that the average person goes "yeah, i do want a choice to pay dues or not"...not understanding the bigger picture that if most/all industries vied for this legislation in their home state or even a bigger and bigger majority....you will be working for Chinese wages in the next couple of decades or so.
Snyder knows exactly how this will play out...law signed, 30% or so of current union members dont pay their dues , union is de-funded over time (not too long), unions go away, major manufacturing channels collude to depress all wages in channel, CEO's pocket the new found bonus money and they get to say "Made in America" (using all cheap American labor)...Good luck next generation. We your elders could have done better, but look, you have a job, so says Mr. CEO, leader and purveyor of all that he/she sees. Exalt them because they deserve it.
It's really a shame that our business leaders today can only cut costs by killing jobs...what happened to critical thinking, thinking outside the box...(Reminds me of scene in Fifth Element)..."Government wants CEO to kill 500K jobs to 'cool' the economy, CEO says, fire 1M (Make me look like a hero). Bah!
Private sector unions built the USA,right to get lower pay doesent always work out
If Obama would remove the unions from federal government it would be much easier to balance the budget.
Unions are the checks/balance to big business. Period.
Unions are
the checks/balance tobig business. Period.President Obama, you are dead wrong on this one. Take a long look at the unions that Federal Government workers have and tell me why you have twice as many people doing half as much work as people in the private sector.
Businesses can't afford the cost of union employees.
The unions, with or without RTW, are finished. If a business can't get rid of the union employees then the economy will get rid of the business.
It isn't necessary to do business in the US anymore. The world is a way different place than the post WW2 manufacturing economy of the US. If a business can't compete globally then it can't make a profit. No profit = bankruptcy.
The unions and made in the USA slogan is for suckers...
I'm getting hungry. Anyone want to order a pizza?
Unfortunately, although you make a good point it seems like lately the center was placed near the wall where
the majority is now been squished by the right swelling greed.
Obama just gave 20 F-16 fighter jets to Egypt. Guess who paid for them?
That's unnerving. Why do I get the feeling that when they are fuelled & armed, thy'll be pointed at Israel?
The only reason Obama got re-elected was because the amount of welfare recipients in this country trebled under his 1st administration. He promised them more handouts, knowing that full well, by the time the check was due to be paid, he'd be LONG GONE from Pennsylvania Avenue.
The mess, (and I readily admitt hat it was a SIGNIFICANT mess) Obama inherited from The Bush administration was fixable. Obama chose not to do that. Instead he made it 10 times worse (THAT is NO exageration). In four years, Barack Obama has ammassed more foreign debt than EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT COMBINED (think about that for a moment).
When he leaves his office in 2016, there might not be an America left to rebuild. If the United States were a car left in the yard, it would be totalled. It just begs the question. "Is this an accident or is it by design? IS Obama Just an idiot or does he know exactly what he is doing? Is all of this happening to us because of Obama's ineptitude or is it because of Obama's sabotage?"
It has to be one or the other. It cannot be both.
WOW. Alot of scumbag bottom-feeding liberals posting. Go to hell all of you. Many of today's unions have destroyed America and will continue to do so. What ever happened to the liberal mantra "co-exist." Biggest BS ever. As long as it's socialist engineered.
Unfortunately the deadheads will stand with unions whether they are members simply because it's part of the grand Democratic platform. You see their parties individuals can no longer think - they respond as a group, as the great coalition, believing their demographic's is what makes them strong. Thought and morals are long gone replaced with what they spew.
Fits quite well with the history of unions tactics.
When was the last time we associated "hard working" with "union members". Look at the teachers unions and what has happened to our children over the past twenty years. Look at the drunken ford workers who get bombed over lunch and then assembly the cars that transport our children and the union insists they can't be fired. That's what a union does best.
Union makes me think of Ford Fairmont and Chevy Citation. 2 rolling hunks of junk.
I had a Fairmont wagon back in the early 80's, and even tho it was a hunk of junk, it lasted me for over 13 years. I was actually kinda sad when it finally crapped out on me
...the right to work, to feed the family, buy gas for the car, fuel for heating, clothing and with luck, some incidentals. AND perhaps some extra money beyond that, since the unions will not be taking their cut, to 'represent' you whether you want to be represented or not: federal employees make the same income even if they are not represented by a union, and those not represented by a union come out ahead because there are no union dues. unions may have been necessary in this country at one time, but their time is long past. look at the corruption. look at union leaders, who are more like crime bosses, who 'disappear.' look at unions that take the dues but fail to represent their workers with an employer. look at unions that use dues to fund politicians of whatever stripe, whatever the individual's political leanings.
What's the President doing sticking his nose in the state of Michigan's business. Maybe he does think he's king
As long as people get it all free they dont mind the unions they don't anyway.
To Feds and Barry,
Stay the hell out of what is a State's Right issue. If the people of Michigan don't like the law then resort to the ballot box.
Obama...the black Hitler
Hitler, NO; a new age version of Joe Stalin - maybe; the anti-Christ - probably, a crooked assed Chicago politician that has managed to dupe more than half the USA - ABSOLUTELY!
No, he is channeling Karl Marx.
Republicans and right wing trolls are against unions because they want every worker to make well below the poverty line. Conservatives want a pool of low wage earners. Right to work. What Republicans really mean by "right to work" is "right to fire" employees no matter what the reasons may be. And notice all the "anti union" sentiments on this thread. Their comments are obviously not factually based. Most of them are right wing talking points from Fox News and Right Wing Talk Radio. I guess the right wing trolls don't think the union workers from Costco should continue to get a living wage.
Liberals creeps like you make me want to vomit. Republicans "want every worker to make well below the poverty line..." You make this sh*t up and actually believe it. LOL I guess it's safe to say your comment is "obviously not factually based" Moron
Snake - you need some serioius mental health support!
@Snake
You sound like the product of one of those brain washing centers run by unions called Public Schools.
Google "loaded rate for union members" and educate yourselves.
Some Union members can cost a Company as much as $85 an hour when benefits are figured in.
Unions are pricing themselves out of the market.
Thinking Long Term...Too bad liberals ignore the facts.
There was a time when unions had a positive role in the american labor force. Today's unions are corrupt and criminal enterprises who have made the mob rich and nothing more for the american labor. Most workers have lost their jobs partly due to employer's inability to pay the prohobitive cost of doing business with unions. Hence, China, Bangladesh, Phillipines, India, Pakistan and even Turkey who have been benefitted by this union outrage. Someone needs to tell Obama that - in this weak economy - giving jobs to 100 people at $20/hour is preferred to giving jobs to 50 union workers for the same cost.
Unions (public service or private), welfare recipients, expansion of entitlement programs...Grand social programs flawed in their design to reward much for little. Unions can hide behind patriotism, hide behind the banner that big business wold keep children in sweatshops for the money that the corporations make, but in reality they are a segment of society basically socialistic in mindset, bull sh.....g their way through the talking points with an end goal of continuing the status quo; more money, less to no work, delusional in their importance to this countries operation, and oblivious to the destructive nature of their core beliefs.
Wrap that red tape all over yourselves as long as you go away.
Union label - stopped buying it 20 years ago.....
local xxxx - stopped using them
Of course Obama loves you, you're a mindless voting block.
>>the right to work for less money
see: Twinkies
unions were not bad things in the beginnings - but it's become a war.
port workers demand: 18% pay raise and 11 weeks of vacation - minimum compensation $190k/yr -
sounds like a government job.
when wage/benefit demands go into outer space, companies can't make products at a competitive price and the jobs go to China.
for all those screaming the companies keep making profits, you'd better hope they do - otherwise your job will evaporate in an instant.
if you want to take up a cause, do something about the $million$/yr of incompetent management - and then dozens of $million$ more in golden parachutes when they get fired.
Well here goes the "Charlatan in Chief" again; sticking his mouth where it has no business, and once more kissing the ass of folks that dump millions of bucks into the Democratic Election Machine. THIS issues is an issue for the State of Michigan to decide and NOT the POTUS who I would think has better things to do than muck around in the State of Michigan. Socialists and those of marginally myopic intellect like Feisty and Peace, who dwell for most of their conscious hours on the Internet. think it's ok to force people to kow-tow to the collective philosophy of unions which, for the most part, had their genesis in communist ideology. They would send those that do not agree with their opinion to gulags or worse. Unions once had their place, but now all they support are unequal entitlements, suppression of capitalism, marginal productivity, and thuggery. It's about time they gave up THEIR "fair share" and joined the ranks of non-union members that can't get a job unless they join the mob - literally!