Michigan and Muskegon have a highly skilled workforce with a good work ethic. I believe our workers deserve a decent wage, a reasonable working schedule, a safe working environment, and employment with health care insurance. Unions should have the right to organize.

The rights and wages all workers have is because the efforts of organized labor. Recently labor has been forced to make concessions to preserve jobs and the financial health of the organization. A healthy balance of power between labor and management is essential to the health of the economy and workers.

I support the following:

• Collective bargaining and binding arbitration
• Pay equity – legislation that is finally effective in bringing equal pay for equal work for women in Michigan
• The ”Hire Michigan First” initiative
• Continuing the effective Film Incentive program
• Continuing the “No worker left behind” program to train laid off workers into jobs of the future
• Minimum wage that keeps up with rising costs.
• Prevailing wage guarantees for construction workers employed on state, municipal or school construction projects.
• Extension of unemployment benefits until jobs become available again.