Tag Archives | Right to work for less

UDPATED: Today Michigan becomes 24th Right to Work state, Emergency Financial Managers become Emergency Managers

By on March 28, 2013 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Labor, Michigan Republicans

The fight to reclaim our state in 2014 starts TODAY

Today Michigan, the birthplace of the labor movement, becomes the 24th Right to Work state in the USA. It’s also the day that PA 436, the Emergency Manager law Republicans passed to thwart the wishes of Michigan voters, goes into effect. PA 436 transforms all Emergency Financial Managers to Emergency Managers (EMs), giving them powers above and beyond financial matters as they are the sole rulers of the schools and municipalities over which they have complete power.

Much more after the jump.


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Michigan Republican meddling in university union contracts leads judge to intervene

By on March 22, 2013 in Labor, Michigan Republicans, Republican-Fail

Now we’re getting somewhere

An administrative law judge has ordered Ferris State University to explain why they rejected a union contract that had already been agreed upon in an attempt to see if Michigan Republican meddling interfered with the collective bargaining process. It’s the first time a judge has looked into whether or not this interference has violated the law or, perhaps more accurately, coerced university board members into violating the law.

The union contract contained a provision that extended the right of the union to continue to collect dues from its members, staving off the impacts of the Right to Work law that has not yet gone into effect. After it was rejected, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against the university.

Click through for more.


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Washtenaw County Board signs 10-year contracts with its unions, thwarting Right to Work law

By on March 21, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Labor, Republican-Fail

Will Michigan Republicans go after and punish counties now???

Last night, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners ratified union contracts with union groups providing services to the County that stave off the effects of the recently-passed Right to Work law for ten more years.

More after the jump.


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Grosse Pointe teachers sign union contract that ties pay to school financial health, will pay for their own subs

By on March 21, 2013 in Labor, Teachers

Wait, is that a “pregnancy tax”???

Grosse Pointe teachers signed a new four-year contract with their school district that continues a unique twist: It ties teachers’ pay to the school district’s fund equity (basically what the district owns minus what it owes). In exchange, they put off the effects of Michigan’s new right to work law for four years and, thanks to modifications in the previous contract’s provisions, avoided pay cuts of up to 9%. In this case, it appears that the school district was able to use the threat of the impending right to work law to get quick ratification of the new contract.

Much more after the jump.


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Michigan Republicans willing to consider bill repealing Right to Work on very last day of the legislative session

By on March 19, 2013 in Labor, Michigan Republicans

I’m about to break my vow of no profanity on this blog…

In what can only be considered an incredible dick move, Michigan Republicans have decided to take up Democratic legislation that would repeal Right to Work in our state — on the very last day of the 2013 legislative session.

Ideologues. Drunk with power. Being dicks.


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UPDATED: Michigan Republicans vote to punish universities that renegotiate union contracts before Right to Work kicks in

By on March 19, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Labor, Republican-Fail

What’s good for the goose is, apparently, NOT good for the gander

A couple of weeks ago, I reported on Republicans’ outrage that universities in Michigan were renegotiating contracts with their union employees and including provisions that postponed the impact of their recently-passed Right to Work legislation by allowing for the collection of union dues for several more years.

Today, the Republicans acted on that outrage and chose to punish the schools that did this, namely the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, by eliminating 15% of their appropriation for the next year.

Click through for more.


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Another day, another poll showing that pretty much nobody likes Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

By on March 6, 2013 in Polls, Rick Snyder

You know who REALLY likes Rick Snyder? Nobody.

Rick Snyder has given numerous signals that he intends to run for a second term as the Nerd in Chief of Michigan. The problem is that not only do Democrats despise him, he’s wildly unpopular among Republicans, too. He’s especially hated by the far-right tea party element of the GOP.

A Lambert, Edwards & Associates poll out last week conducted by Denno Research tells the tale. Details on that and more after the jump.


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Western Washtenaw Dems host Right to Work forum this THURSDAY, MARCH 7

By on March 4, 2013 in Events, Michigan Democratic Party, Michigan Democrats

The fight to preserve workers’ rights is FAR from over. Get informed.

One of the premier Democratic Party clubs in the state is the Western Washtenaw Dems, a club I’m proud to be a member of. Started in 1999 by former House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, the group is both a social club for Democrats on the western side of Washtenaw County as well as an active political force in our county. They regularly sponsor important and timely speakers, panels and forums and this Thursday is one that area Democrats won’t want to miss. It features Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan AFL-CIO president Karla Swift, Michigan AFT president David Hecker along with moderator Ron Motsinger from the IBEW.

Details and a downloadable flyer after the jump.


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Michigan GOP threatens unions/schools over contract extensions, Mackinac Center files frivolous lawsuit

By on March 1, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Labor, Republican-Fail

Exploiting legal loopholes is only allowed if you are Republican or conservative

With the date when Michigan officially becomes a Right to Work (for Less) state looming (March 28th), Michigan Republicans and the anti-union, anti-teacher conservative lobby group The Mackinac Center for Public Policy are in freak-out mode that unions would try to preserve some of their rights before they are stripped from them.

Click through for all of the gory details and hypocrisy.


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Michigan Economic Development Corp puts use of “Pure Michigan” brand to brag about union-busting with Right to Work on hold

By on February 15, 2013 in Michigan

Well, that went well, didn’t it?

Last month, the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC) used the “Pure Michigan” brand to brag about screwing unions by making Michigan a Right to Work state. They spent $144,000 to run a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to do so.

This week, MEDC vice president of government affairs, Jim McBryde, told the House Tourism Committee that they are putting further misuse of the successful “Pure Michigan” tourism brand to promote Right to Work on hold.

Click through for details.


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