With a major back to work milestone having been achieved in Michigan this past week, the head of the Michigan Manufacturers Association joined Governor Gretchen Whitmer today in urging an even higher percentage of the state’s population to get vaccinated to get back to even a larger sense of normalcy.
John Walsh, President & CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association, gave a “hearty thanks” to those who have been vaccinated, “helping us all reach a huge milestone of getting to 55-percent of our population receiving at least one shot of the vaccine.”
Walsh is proud of the fact that the state’s manufacturing industry has continued to work safely and productively since last May, following a two month pause. He says, “While folks on the shop floor have been on site that entire time, members of finance, engineering and sales staffs — just to name a few — can only now return to the office and join their production colleagues on site.” He contends, “This is clearly an indication of our progress in the fight against the pandemic, and allows our office colleagues to once again interact in person, increasing the effectiveness of collaboration, fueling creativity and restoring those important social and professional relationships at work.”
Walsh also suggests that in the opinion of his organization, which represents manufacturers all across the state, “The clear path to normalcy is through vaccination.” Joining the governor at the rostrum today in Lansing, Walsh added, “I’m proud to stand here today representing manufacturers across the state that have risen to the challenge from the beginning of the pandemic to respond to people’s needs. In particular, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize that one of our members, Pfizer, manufactures one of the most effective vaccines right here in Michigan. Our fellow Michiganians are working hard to protect their families at Pfizer and their friends, our state, and in fact our entire world.” Walsh says, “What was once the arsenal of democracy is now the arsenal of health care, and we are very proud of our members and their contributions to keeping people safe across the country and the world during the pandemic.”
Walsh promised his association will continue to encourage its members, their employees, and everyone to consider getting vaccinated, reminding folks, “Supplies are now abundant and readily available, increasingly on a walk-in basis. Consult your doctor or members of the medical profession if you have questions or concerns. They are ready, and in my opinion, they are the most qualified to help you with making this important decision.”
Walsh went on to say, “One point that I do want to make of critical importance to manufacturing, as we continue to grow and recover from the pandemic is the need to get production workers on site, and one of the biggest challenges, of course, is childcare. Parents need to be confident that their children can return to school. Our board of trustees at the local level, and our teachers need to be confident in the school system to get our children educated and in turn their parents can return to the workforce. It’s another reason why we encourage vaccination. We have hit the milestone of 55-percent laid out by the governor, and now we encourage others to move forward so that we can make progress in getting back to normal, to see each other at a restaurant, to cheer the Lions on to victory in a packed stadium, and to share the joy of those about you at a large, and hopefully loud, wedding.”
Governor Whitmer was later asked whether or not she shared support for the action by several business groups and the Republican-led Michigan House who want to use federal COVID-19 relief money to pay unemployed workers an incentive of up to $1,000 to $2,000 dollars to go back to work, citing labor shortages.
Whitmer replied, “When you think about the American Rescue Plan and the billions that were sent to Michigan by the Trump Administration and the billions that are coming under the Biden Administration, we have an incredible opportunity here, and it is reliant on us getting it right and being strategic about how we deploy those resources so that we can get people back to work…so that we can get people enhanced skill-sets so that they can get into better paying jobs…so we can wrap our kids with the kind of supports they need to address their academic needs, their mental health needs, and their physical needs.” She suggests, “All of these are important components to our mutual long-term success.”
Regarding the debate over incentives to return to work, Whitmer says, “I’ve seen some of the conversations that are happening, but we know that there are a lot of pressure-points on working families right now in terms of getting back into the workforce. One is a concern that they’re going to be safe, that their health is protected and that’s why vaccinations are so important. Another is childcare, and that’s why we have made this a huge priority in my budget, and I think this would be a great first step for us to take together if the Legislature appreciates how serious this component is to our ultimate goal of getting our economy back on track, and I’d love to find some common ground with them on that particular item because I think that would do a lot more to give parents peace of mind so they can go back to work.”
Gov. Whitmer opened today’s press conference thanking Michigan residents for continuing to get the COVID vaccine, reporting that more than 55-percent of the state’s residents have received their first shots and over 40-percent are full vaccinated including 70-percent of the state’s senior population. She also noted that COVID cases are now down 60-percent and hospitalizations have dropped by more than 30-percent since the mid-April peak. As a result, all work places can resume in-person work beginning May 24th.
