UAW Endorses Michigan Ballot Issues

DETROIT – The UAW today issued endorsements to four key Michigan ballot issues including access to voting, redistricting, raising the minimum wage and protecting construction wages for Michigan workers.

“The system of governing in Michigan is clearly broken. Average citizens find themselves struggling for basic things like a living wage while their voices are silenced by a rigged political system that makes it harder to vote and when you do vote it has a pre-ordained outcome over gerrymandering,” said Dennis Williams President of the UAW.

The UAW endorsed:

• Raise the Wage – which proposes a gradual increase to a $12 minimum wage by 2022 and for tipped wages to make a $12 minimum wage by 2024. This will also alleviate strain on government spending because of the amount of public assistance needed for current minimum wage levels.
• Construction Workers Fair Wage Act– which requires prevailing wages and fringe benefits on state projects and sets contracting and bidding requirements to protect construction worker wages.
• Voting Rights – which protects the right to vote with the option for straight party voting; automatically registers citizens to vote unless they decline; allows voter registration up to 15 days before and elections; allows no-reason absentee voting; and ensures results through auditing of election results.
• Voters Not Politicians – which changes the system of politicians drawing their own legislative and Congressional Districts that has led to lack of competition in elections and less of a public voice in legislation. The proposal creates a fair, impartial way to draw districts that involves citizens, creates less partisan line drawing and fairly represents Michiganders.

“All of these ballot issues are designed with one thing in mind – to lift up average Michiganders economically by giving them a voice in their workplace and in government,” said Williams.

Williams pointed out that raising the minimum wage reduces government public assistance needs and that requiring prevailing wage and fair bidding standards lifts up Michigan’s living wage.

The voting issues are intended to protect the integrity of all Michiganders eligibility to vote and to end the cycle of non-competitive races that reduce the voices of citizens in elections.

UAW ballot issue endorsements are achieved through the UAW CAP program which involves members in Michigan’s three UAW Regions 1, 1A and 1D. “UAW members are directly involved in the endorsement process,” said Williams. “

The UAW has over 135,000 active members in Michigan and hundreds of thousands of retirees. “At the UAW we fight for a voice in our contracts and in the halls of the Legislature and Congress. These ballot issues do the very same thing for each and every citizen.”