Whitmer touts repeal of right-to-work at UAW bargaining convention

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got a chance Tuesday to tout the recent repeal of right-to-work legislation and her support for the UAW during the second day of the union’s special bargaining convention in Detroit.

After telling the hundreds of delegates gathered at Huntington Place, formerly Cobo Center, that she had signed the bills Friday on right-to-work and restoring prevailing wage rules, she told them it was a “BFD” as the delegates answered with loud applause. That means it’s a big deal though the “F” can’t be spelled out here. (The governor urged those in the crowd to ask a union brother or sister to explain if they weren't clear on the concept.)

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“That makes Michigan the first state to repeal the so-called right-to-work law since (the 1940s),” Whitmer said.

Whitmer said it took a lot of work and advocacy to get to this point, but that more effort is needed on union and worker issues.

“I’m damn proud of the work that we had to do, but we cannot for one second take our foot off the accelerator. We cannot assume it is over and things are just going to be sunny and bright for anyone who is working hard in this state. We’ve got to continue to work for these rights,” she said.

Whitmer said Michigan would be a place where workers thrive and businesses can succeed. The state, she said, would be a place where people want to move for solid infrastructure and a good quality of life.

She said the state would “fight like hell” to bring battery-electric vehicle and semiconductor plants to Michigan, an answer to critics who have questioned the administration’s work to secure more EV-related investments during a massive transformation of the auto industry.

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“Together we put the world on notice that Michigan was, is and always will be the beating heart of the auto industry,” Whitmer said, noting that the UAW is the center of much of this work.

“I’m here because the UAW has been a phenomenal partner to me, and I will continue so long as I’m in office to be a phenomenal partner to you, too.”

Newly elected UAW President Shawn Fain called the governor “our friend, our ally and our sister,” after recounting how the governor, a Democrat, had been on hand when the right-to-work legislation was pushed forward under the administration of Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

“I’ll never forget her standing there with us, and I think it’s awesome to stand here 10 years later and now she’s our governor,” said Fain, who was sworn in to office on Sunday following a divisive election.

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Whitmer’s speech provided a rousing moment during the second day of the convention, but she would have had serious competition for the most fiery speech, with UAW Vice President Rich Boyer, the director of the union’s Stellantis department, clearly animated after a video was shown highlighting the impact of the idling of Stellantis’ Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.

The automaker announced its decision in December, attributing it to the high cost of the transition to electric vehicles. The plant, which produced the Jeep Cherokee SUV, employed more than 1,200 workers as of December, although that’s not a full picture of the associated jobs there or the reductions in force that had happened previously.

Boyer, echoing a message that Fain has expressed, talked about how the membership needs to “start punching back” and “this could be you.”

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He told members to imagine as an example the spillover effect if Stellantis stopped producing the Jeep Gladiator in Toledo, how it would affect a whole range of other plants. That’s not something the company has actually suggested, but Boyer was using it to make a point that would resonate with many delegates.

“We have to stand together,” he said.

The convention is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday.

One other note from the convention, where the union sets out its bargaining priorities for upcoming contract talks with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, was the news that Fain's vehicle was broken into Monday night, with a window smashed and a bag and laptop taken near a bar in Detroit where convention attendees had gathered. Boyer mentioned the break-in, with additional details confirmed by a spokesman for Fain.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer touts right-to-work repeal, UAW as partner at convention