Barack Obama Takes Aim at Right-to-Work Laws

President Barack Obama took direct aim at proposed right-to-work legislation during an appearance Monday in Redford Township.

Obama waded into Michigan’s brewing labor battle that erupted last week when Gov. Rick Snyder said right-to-work legislation was on his agenda and union groups protested at the state Capitol in Lansing.

"We should do everything we can to keep creating good middle-class jobs that help folks rebuild security for their families," Obama said Monday in a speech at the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant, according to the Huffington Post.

Obama added that with right-to-work laws, “what they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.”

Following the press conference, Congressman Gary Peters (D-9th Congressional), who represents Farmington and Farmington Hills, issued a statement noting Obama's announcement that Daimler is making a $120 million investment in the region. Peters said it "demonstrates that when we work together, we succeed together". 

“At the height of the recession, when it looked like we might lose our auto industry altogether, we came together as one Greater Detroit community," he said. "To keep our economy growing, we need to focus on the things that unite us, which is why I asked Governor Snyder to keep his promise by rejecting divisive ‘right to work’ legislation.”

More protests are expected in Lansing on Tuesday as right-to-work legislation continues to make its way through the state Legislature.