Automotive parts manufacturer Android Industries is headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI. But in March, when the company decided to build a new plant, it looked south – to right-to-work Indiana. Android’s Fort Wayne, IN, plant brought 66 jobs and nearly $9 million of investment to the Hoosier State. The company cited …
As the country waits with bated breath for the Obama Administration to belatedly approve nearly a dozen natural gas export projects, big chemical companies are lining up in opposition. Leading the charge is Michigan-based Dow Chemical, whose corporate leadership recently voiced its strong opposition to natural gas exports. According to …
Right-to-work laws represent “the freedom to freeload,” conservative commentator Steven Crowder was told by a union protester outside the Michigan state capitol shortly before another protester punched him in the face. The gripe is a common one: If workers are free to choose whether or not they wish to join …
The polling firm Rasmussen offers some interesting data on the work effort of government employees compared to private-sector workers. In five separate surveys this past year, Rasmussen asked a representative sample of American adults, “Who works harder?” The choices were government workers, private-sector employees, and “not sure.” The table below …
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced today that imports and exports both declined in October while the overall trade deficit increased. Reactions to the BEA report were misleading. For example, the Associated Press reported: “A wider trade deficit acts as a drag on growth.” In fact, U.S. trade …
This is the week that Michigan’s workers will finally be freed from forced unionization. After decades of United Auto Workers control over the struggling American auto industry, the Michigan legislature’s passing of a right-to-work law is historic. Governor Rick Snyder (R) is expected to sign the law as early as …
Two Michigan school districts will close Tuesday after hosts of teachers called out sick, apparently to join protests against efforts to pass right-to-work legislation in the state. The school district superintendent in Taylor, MI, a Detroit suburb, said the district would not have enough teachers to fill the district’s classrooms, according …
A long-awaited report on natural gas exports was finally released by the Department of Energy (DOE) last week. Unsurprisingly, it concluded that exporting natural gas would bring a net economic benefit to the U.S. economy, with most benefits being realized as economies of scale in gas production increase. With the …
The November employment report appeared to be good news. The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest level since 2009, and the economy created 146,000 jobs. However, a closer reading of the details shows that the labor market is not recovering any faster but instead continuing its long, painful …
