President Obama on Right-To-Work for less Legislation

President Obama on Right-To-Work for less Legislation

You only have to look to Michigan -- where workers were instrumental in reviving the auto industry -- to see how unions have helped build not just a stronger middle class but a stronger America.  (Applause.)  So folks from our state’s capital, all the way to the nation’s capital, they should be focused on the same thing.  They should be working to make sure companies like this manufacturer is able to make more great products.  That's what they should be focused on.  (Applause.)  We don't want a race to the bottom.  We want a race to the top.  (Applause.)

America is not going to compete based on low-skill, low-wage, no workers’ rights.  That's not our competitive advantage. There’s always going to be some other country that can treat its workers even worse.  Right? 

AUDIENCE:  Right!

THE PRESIDENT:  What’s going to make us succeed is we got the best workers -- well trained, reliable, productive, low turnover, healthy.  That's what makes us strong.  And it also is what allows our workers then to buy the products that we make because they got enough money in their pockets.  (Applause.)

So we’ve got to get past this whole situation where we manufacture crises because of politics.  That actually leads to less certainty, more conflict, and we can't all focus on coming together to grow.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  That's right!