An Update from Tony Daunt, Senior Director of Workers for Opportunity

My name is Tony Daunt, and I’m the new senior director of Workers for Opportunity. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with numerous Mackinac Center team members during my career in and around Michigan’s state government, and it’s an honor to join this incredible team!

Before coming to WFO, I was the executive director of FAIR Maps, a nonprofit advocacy group that focused on redistricting. Before that, I served as the executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund, an ally of the Mackinac Center in the policy battles surrounding right-to-work, electric choice, and pension reform, among others. I’m a 2001 graduate of Michigan State University and root for Ohio State on the side because it annoys my Wolverine friends.

Workers for Opportunity has enjoyed significant successes this year, with more still to come. As this issue of IMPACT was heading to print, Georgia joined Tennessee and became the second state in the nation to make workers’ right to a secret ballot vote on unionization a prerequisite for companies receiving taxpayer-funded incentives. WFO’s success in neighboring Tennessee helped make reform a key priority for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and we are honored to have been a part of this victory for Georgia’s workers.

Our friends at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation have been great partners on the ground. They kept us informed on their progress, providing detailed updates at each phase, and were an essential resource for legislators and stakeholders. We truly appreciated their work.

Now it’s time to bring our campaign for worker freedom to other states. Alabama’s legislature recently introduced a similar secret ballot bill, and we hope to see it adopted. In Louisiana, our friends at the Pelican Institute helped see multiple bills focused on labor reforms introduced. The legislation would ensure workers are free to leave their unions, protect paychecks, limit the use of taxpayer dollars to support union activities, and provide greater accountability for union members. We will continue to support these important reforms, and I look forward to making 2024 one of Workers for Opportunity’s most successful years to date.