UAW President Bob King got an early lump of coal in his Christmas stocking from Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder last week when Snyder agreed to support right-to-work legislation.
The governor's about-face on the issue -- he had earlier pledged to steer away from that fight -- will damage the UAW inside and outside Michigan, said Dave Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Under right-to-work legislation, employees cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues. Cole said UAW dues at the Detroit 3 are equivalent to two hours of wages per month, or about $600 per member per year.
Twenty-three states, mostly in the South, have right-to-work laws.
Cole said the UAW will lose credibility with auto workers it is trying to organize in the South.
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