Welcome to Michigan. I’m back in the self-proclaimed Mitten
State, but the steel gloves are out.
This Presidential election is truly for the future of
America. The second most critical decision for voters is in Michigan. It is not for the Senate or Congressional elections. Nor is it for state legislative positions. The Michigan election is for the future of organized labor, especially
the public sector unions, in Michigan and throughout America.
The unions lost in Wisconsin, won in Ohio, and are now going
for the tiebreaker in Michigan.
The 2010 midterm elections were a deep sweep of the Midwest.
Republicans took control of the governorships and legislatures in Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, as well as Pennsylvania, and almost control in Iowa
and Minnesota.
Governors and legislatures in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and
Wisconsin proceeded to enact anti-union measures of varying degrees. Wisconsin was the most
extreme anti-union, or at least anti public sector union, measure, but excluded
fire and police. Ohio included emergency responders in its anti-union
legislation. Indiana became a right to work state.
The unions failed to overturn the Wisconsin legislation in four electoral tries in two years. The
Ohio unions mounted a successful referendum campaign to overwhelmingly reject
the Ohio measures.
Michigan took a less confrontational approach. Public sector
workers were required to pay a greater percent of their pension and health
costs. In addition, the government would no longer collect union dues from the
public employees. Most of the reforms dealt with local government financing
reforms, including placing municipalities into financial receiverships, which
could nullify union contracts.
Some Republican legislators suggested enacting a right to
work statute in Michigan. Governor Rick Snyder responded by saying he did not
favor such a bill, but would sign it if passed by the legislature.
Right to work statutes, whereby a worker cannot be compelled
to join a union, help propel the job migration to the South. Detroit’s
competitors from Japan, with the exception of Toyota in Marysville, Ohio, built
non-union plants in right to work states. The United Auto Workers has
repeatedly been unsuccessful in organizing the non-captive import plants.
Even the threat of transforming Michigan, the heartland of
the industrial workers unions, into a right to work state was scary for the
unions.
The unions spent $1.15 getting a proposed amendment to the
state constitution on the November ballot. 322,609 valid signatures were needed
for the referendum. About 700,000 were obtained. The unions have another $7
million in the bank to fund the measure in the general election, and may spend up to $20 million on the cause..
The United Auto Workers contributed $1 million, the AFL-CIO
Unity Fund $1.25 million, AFSCME $1 million, the American Federation of
Teachers $460,000, the Teamsters $333,334, the Michigan Regional Council of
Carpenters $250,000, and the IBEW $243,972.
The unions, led by the once omnipotent UAW, are scared that
Michigan might follow Wisconsin after this round of elections. Hence, they are
trying to block any future anti-union measures by a Republican legislature and
governor.
Their simply worded proposal, the deceptively simple worded
proposal, states that collective bargaining is a right guaranteed by the state
constitution.
Depending on how the courts construe the provision, its
interpretation could be so broad as to preclude state regulation, i.e. legislative
enactments, that would in any way interfere with wages, benefits, and working
conditions negotiated by the unions in their collective bargaining agreements.
In short, little restraint would exist, short of federal
bankruptcy, on the sweetheart contracts the public employee unions have
negotiated with plaint city, county, and school officials, often elected with
union help.
Governor Snyder said the proposed provision could invalidate
up to 170 existing state laws that affect unions.
Labor also has two other referendums on the ballot. The first would provide for the unionization of home health care workers and the second would repeal the state's emergency manager law. Repeal the emergency manager law will result in an increased bankruptcy of Michigan cities. It is the republicans attempt to bring fiscal sanity to local government.
Labor also has two other referendums on the ballot. The first would provide for the unionization of home health care workers and the second would repeal the state's emergency manager law. Repeal the emergency manager law will result in an increased bankruptcy of Michigan cities. It is the republicans attempt to bring fiscal sanity to local government.
Michigan’s previous governor, the feckless Jennifer
Granholm, who was in thrall to the public employee unions, hurriedly fled
Michigan to Berkeley and an obscure cable show when her term was up. The tax
payers of Michigan are paying a high price for her ineptitude.
If the unions win in November, they will buy time, but the
economic tides are against them. If they lose, then Michigan, and other states,
may well follow Wisconsin’s lead with severe union busting statutes, at least
for the public sector unions.
They must win, but then so do did the Wisconsin unions.
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