Seven years ago, I joined the Mackinac Center to build its first government affairs effort and lead its Lansing Embassy office. With that solidly established and making an impact in Lansing, Mackinac’s leadership recently asked me to become the first executive director of our Workers for Opportunity labor reform project and help “level up” this multistate initiative. I am excited by the opportunity to apply our expertise in labor policy to other states and free millions of workers from their unwanted unions.
This move is a return to my roots. My life in the think tank world began in 2007 at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In that year, we launched Texas’ groundbreaking conservative reforms of criminal justice policy. As we contemplated how to get other states to replicate our success, we developed a project called Right on Crime.
Until then, you could count on one hand the number of state-based free-market think tanks that worked on criminal justice policy. So, we built a team of specialists who would work with our fellow think tanks and assist state policymakers as they pursued similar reforms. To date, Right on Crime has successfully contributed to reform efforts in 39 states. Mackinac’s own work in this area is a direct result of its engagement with Right on Crime.
Labor policy today is in a similar position to where criminal justice was 20 years ago. Seventeen states have right-to-work laws, while nine more enshrine it in their state constitution.
The Mackinac Center has been the state-based think tank with the most developed expertise and emphasis on labor policy, due in part to the frontal assault on right-to-work the state saw over the last decade. A lot of union abuses fly under the radar, in Michigan and elsewhere. Once they appear, our allies lean on us to respond.
Over the coming months, we plan to build the policy and communications infrastructure of Workers for Opportunity so that its efforts complement Mackinac’s >work for the people of Michigan.
A more robust and effective Workers for Opportunity helps Michigan in many ways. When we come alongside other think tanks to help them curb union abuses in their states, we built trust and a relationship. They can help us on issues where they have the greater expertise than we do.
Perhaps most importantly, as we make it easier for workers in right-to-work states to leave their union, we drain the pot of union political money available for left-wing causes. Over the next year, unions will funnel colossal amounts of political money into Michigan to promote radical ballot measures and elect pro-union candidates.
Your support for the Mackinac Center and Workers for Opportunity advances freedom across America — especially in Michigan.
