Michigan, home to the collapsed city of Detroit and one of the most powerful auto worker union states in the nation, is in a battle for the state's taxpayers - led by a governor and legislature that puts the state's welfare above re-election and political power.
Thursday, the Michigan House and Senate - both dominated by Republicans - chose to make Michigan a state where workers can choose whether or not they want to be union members. The movement was led by Republican Governor Ric Snyder. From the Washington Times -
LANSING, Mich. — After weeks of speculation, Michigan’s GOP-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday pushed ahead with a bill to make this historic labor stronghold a right-to-work state, sparking a clash in the state Capitol and setting up what could be an epic fight watched by union and management supporters nationwide.
As police outside pushed back protesters with pepper spray, the GOP-dominated state House of Representatives, by a 58-52 vote, quickly approved the Workplace Equity and Fairness Act, which would end mandatory union-dues collection at any Michigan company and would apply to public and private workers with the exception of firefighters and police.
Later Thursday, the state Senate, where Republicans hold a healthy 26-12 margin, also passed the legislation.
It would make Michigan the 24th state in the nation to adopt a right-to-work law, 10 months after neighboring Indiana adopted one.
