Stand up for Michigan workers.
NationActionLegislation limiting the power of unions is headed to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s desk, where the Republican is expected to sign the so-called “right to work” bill into law after it was approved by a vote of 58-52 in the Michigan House. But union organizers say they can still undo the contentious legislation, which bars the mandatory collection of labor dues. The idea, according to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, is that opponents of the law could file petitions with signatures of registered voters equal to 8 percent of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. The legislature would then either enact or reject the petition — presumably the latter. After that, it would go on the ballot for the next general election in 2014.
The WeAreMichigan coalition is taking the lead in opposing the controversial bill. Sign the petition standing up for Michigan workers and consider a donation to help support both legal and grassroots challenges to the legislation. It also can’t hurt to call Governor Snyder at 517-373-3400 and implore him to veto the legislation.
In ‘Right to work’: The wrong answer for Michigan’s economy, a recent paper produced by the Economic Policy Institute, political economist Gordon Lafer explains that right-to-work laws do not boost job growth in states that adopt them but rather lower wages and reduce benefits for both union and non-union workers alike.
In scenes reminiscent of last year’s massive protests against Scott Walker’s anti-union legislation at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, thousands of citizen protesters gathered in the Michigan state capitol immediately after the controversial legislation was passed.
A weekly guide to meaningful action, this blog connects readers with resources to channel the outrage so many feel after reading about abuses of power and privilege. Far from a comprehensive digest of all worthy groups working on behalf of the social good, Take Action seeks to shine a bright light on one concrete step that Nation readers can take each week. To broaden the conversation, we’ll publish a weekly follow-up post detailing the response and featuring additional campaigns and initiatives that we hope readers will check out. Toward that end, please use the comments field to give us ideas. With your help, we can make real change.
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