Thousands of union workers converged on Lansing Tuesday to protest the passage of Right to Work legislation. They stood on a Capitol grounds well-populated with Michigan State Police troopers – troopers who, ironically, are not only unionized themselves, but insulated from the current debate due to a constitutional provision. A spokesman for MSP declined Tuesday […]
right to work
Posted inBusiness Watch
Right to Work bills revamp how courts handle challenges to them
In September, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled against a state law backed by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican legislative majority to require state employees to make an additional payment to their pension plan. It’s not the first time that an Ingham County judge has ruled against the state as part of that […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
On RTW, money talked, GOP answered
Why is a conservative Republican Legislature enacting a pro-business agenda that breaks the mold by embracing Right to Work laws? Because the GOP has the votes in the House and Senate to put it on Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk for his signature. Control all three legs of the stool and you can craft law on […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan still needs action on schools, universities, Detroit
It is what it is. I am referring, of course, to the political firestorm that has engulfed Michigan ever since Gov. Rick Snyder announced he would sign Right To Work (or Freedom To Work, if you prefer) when legislation ending the union shop reaches his desk. Naturally, we all wish we could live in a […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links — RTW edition
Michigan’s dash to become the 24th Right to Work state — and the physical and political turmoil in Lansing last week surrounding it — drew plenty of attention from the national media. * In “Rick Snyder, Michigan’s reluctant union-buster,” Alec MacGillis of The New Republic wrote, “For now, we’re left with Rick Snyder, the Hamlet of […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad calls tech foul on pro-RTW ads
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: Pro-Right to Work ads Who: Michigan Freedom Fund What: Radio and TV ad Truth Squad call: Technical foul The debate over Right to Work legislation has spilled out from the State Capitol and onto the state’s airwaves. Michigan Freedom Fund is backing both TV and radio ads supporting passage of RTW. […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Interest high in Right to Work; gains unclear
Gov. Rick Snyder has engaged in some shuttle diplomacy in recent days, talking with opponents and supporters of Right to Work, which limits requirements for participation in union activities by employees. RTW is something the governor has repeatedly said is divisive and not on his agenda, yet the idea has been the subject of much […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Legislature poised to act on Right to Work
The Legislature opened its 2012 “lame duck” session this week. Where’s that phrase come from, anyway? Well, it was first used as a down-on-his-luck stockbroker, since an injured duck who cannot keep up with the flock is an easy target for predators. In the political world, lame ducks are something else again: Officeholders who were […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Bid to head off ‘Right to Work’ may propel its adoption in Michigan
While voters defeated proposals to lock collective bargaining rights in the constitution and restore bargaining rights to home health workers on Tuesday, the battle over labor rules is far from over in Michigan. The defeat of Proposal 2, the collective bargaining ballot issue, clears the way for a possible Right to Work bill to be […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Genesis of Prop 2 found in Right to Work debate
For years, it was unthinkable that Michigan, the cradle of the labor movement, might ever become a Right to Work state. Union workers helped build the state, union power shaped its politics and the idea of severing the two would be like Georgia rejecting peaches. Things are different now. The battle over Proposal 2, which […]
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