Michigan was once one of the nation’ s strongest union states. But with the decimation of the automobile industry and the recent takeover of state government by extremely conservative politicians, the union movement is on the defensive.
Unions in Michigan tried and failed to pass a constitutional amendment supporting their right to bargain collectively.
Now, Governor Rick Snyder is talking openly about pushing right to work legislation.
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce supports the idea.
Tennessee passed such legislation last year, as did Indiana.
Wisconsin is considering it now.
The elimination of collective bargaining will give additional momentum to the growing income inequality in this country.
The New York Times had an article about fast-food workers in New York City who need food stamps to feed their families because their wages are so low. Sixty percent of workers in this country now are hourly workers without benefits. Some have take-home pay, if they are lucky, of $18,000 a year.
Meanwhile, as Warren Buffet wrote recently, the Forbes 400 have an average annual income of $202 million.
$202 million a year.
Maybe the union movement will be born again as most Americans slide out of the middle class and into lives of not so gentle poverty.
ALEC’s Fiscal Policies Get a Failing Grade in Major Analysis
MICHIGAN PASSED RTW…58-52. The Dems pulled a Wisconsin and walked away. They did come back though, to vote. And it STILL passed. We will be the 24th state that has RTW. All the nay sayers were proven wrong. That includes the MEA and SEIU. AND the union members that were bussed in from Ohio!!!
December 6, 2012
We will look back on this date as the day the Republican Party committed suicide.
We could only wish is was a homicide/suicide with the Rethugs taking out the Dims and then doing themselves in.
Jon, the Repubs committed suicide a long time ago. They just haven’t laid down and finished the deed.
Some video about the day in Michigan:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/06/michigan-police-pepper-spray-arrest-protesters-opposing-right-to-work-law/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/06/michigan-lawmaker-slams-republicans-in-emotional-labor-rights-speech/
philaken…shall we compare union videos? I was there…were you?
There’s a ton more of these vids, pics, and articles all over the web. It even ended up on Drudge, Beck, and Breitbart, along with the HuffPo, WaPo, and the NY papers.
These are perfect examples of your unions being all warm and cuddly. Oh, poor, misunderstood unions, they’re only looking out for the good of their bretheren. The teachers that called in sick to go to Lansing…it was “for the kids” that they went on a trip. And what are the stats on Detroit 7th and 8th graders? I rest my case
The Dems and the unions are torqued because the Repubs used their own tactics against them. Ram it down our throats, tell us it is going to be good, pass it in the dark of night…Obamacare ring any bells? I always knew that Karma was a word that rhymes with witch and starts with a B.
http://coreprinciples.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-is-what-democracy-looks-like.html?utm_source=snyder+sign+rtw.+unions+riot&utm_campaign=rtw+signed&utm_medium=email
http://www.freep.com/article/20121211/NEWS15/121211011/Michigan-right-to-work-battle-draws-early-crowd-in-Lansing
Ms. Ravitch, this Right to Work law does not effect collective bargaining. Previous to passing the bill, Michigan had the right to deduct union dues from workers paychecks, whether the workers wanted to associate with a union or not. That is force. That is theft. That goes against the 1st Amendment right Americans have.
Now that the law is signed, workers have a choice to join a union and pay dues and enjoy the benefits of that; or choose not to join a union, not pay union dues, and find other benefits of their choice.
The Right to Work law is about freedom. How it was before, and what you’re promoting isabout force.
Statistics show that Right to Work statesdo better economically. Michigan is going bankcrupt. Perhaps this legislation will encourage job growth and bring people back to their state.
The following information from the National Lawyers Guild : Detroit & Michigan Chapter may help to clear up a number of commonly repeated misconceptions:
“People appear to be critically uninformed about what RIGHT TO WORK laws actually do, as well as what employee rights and duties are with respect to union membership in the status quo.”
See: http://www.facebook.com/michigannlg/posts/476259219084752
Michigan Senate Democrats Blog • Analysis of Flawed “Right To Work” Legislation Shows Governor and Republican Legislators Had Never Reviewed Language Prior To Signing It Into Law
Chris Savage • Steven Crowder’s Breitbart-style editing of Michigan rally video getting noticed nationally