Midwest Memo: Detroit construction boom, SB5 ballot language decision, auto sales update
Three must-read stories from around the Midwest today:
(Ricardo Giaviti via Flickr)
Crysler CEO says to temper expectations for U.S auto sales: The Detroit News reports Sergio Marchionne remarked the troubled economy will likely keep U.S auto sales from hitting 13 million units for the year – a goal the industry has been touting as a signal of U.S auto recovery. In the same speech to auto executives, Marchionne also said his company’s preliminary talks with the United Auto Workers Union are going well. Labor negotiations between the two begin in earnest next month.
Ohio’s collective bargaining ban drama continues today: Efforts to repeal SB5, an Ohio law that, among other things, reduces the collective bargaining power of the state’s public employees, are at a crossroads. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Ohio Ballot Board is deciding today how the measure to repeal the ban will be worded on the November ballot. The ballot language has been contentious. Opponents have argued the current ballot language is confusing to voters.
Construction in Detroit reaches busiest pace in more than a decade. Good news for Metro Detroit, which has added more than 6,000 construction jobs this summer – a rate of growth not seen since more than a decade ago. The Detroit News reports growth is the result of several very large construction projects and smaller developments fueled by private investment. Nationally, the unemployment rate for those in the construction trades still stands at over 15%.