Michigan

Charity Employee Fired for Daring to Call Attention to Union Special Privileges

Nick Cote — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:12:46 -0400

A Michigan man appears to have been fired recently from United Way of Saginaw County because he had the audacity to challenge the special legal privileges enjoyed by union bosses. From Reporting Michigan.

[Tim] Kelly claims [United Way of Saginaw County CEO Cherrie] Benchley told him during a meeting that his interview had been seen on television by officials with organized labor and they they would pull their funding from the Saginaw United Way if he wasn’t let go. Kelly said that discussion was held in front of another United Way employee.

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NRTW President Mark Mix: "Freedom in the workplace always wins -- even in Michigan."

Nick Cote — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:02:42 -0400

Thursday's Detroit News extensively quotes National Right to Work president Mark Mix in an informative piece about why Michigan needs a Right to Work law.

Right to Work protections in 22 states ensure that no worker can be compelled, as a condition or employment, to join or pay dues to an unwanted union.

Greedy Detroit Union Boss Threatens Firings: Teachers, Your Money or Your Jobs!

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:05:46 -0400

The Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit Federation of Teachers union is threatening to have up to 70 teachers fired for not paying forced union dues. A school district error is mainly responsible for the mix up.

Yet, because of the clerical error, union official Mark O'Keefe stated that the "fair" thing to do would be to fire the teachers who fail to pay the full union dues.

No, Mark. The "fair" thing to do is to not require teachers to pay ANY union dues as a condition of teaching Detroit's schoolchildren.

UAW Tries to Block Employee Election to Toss Out Union at JCIM Grand Rapids

Anthony Riedel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:01:05 -0500

Workers at JCIM Grand Rapids Plant Seek Ejection of UAW Union

Anthony Riedel — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:35:03 -0500

In Michigan, Foundation staff attorneys are providing legal aid to Johnson Controls (JCIM) Grand Rapids employees who want the UAW union hierarchy removed as the monopoly bargaining agent. Meanwhile UAW union organizers are attempting to force their way into JCIM’s Holland plant:

Grand Rapids, MI (December 23, 2008) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a Johnson Controls (JCIM) employee at the Talon Court facility in Kentwood has filed a decertification petition seeking an election to oust the United Auto Workers (UAW) union as the JCIM workers’ monopoly bargaining agent.

The development is another blow to the UAW union hierarchy which has taken a major public relations hit in recent months because of its role in driving the Big Three automakers to the brink of bankruptcy.

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No More Trees, AFSCME Union Tells Detroit

Nick Cote — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:15:20 -0400

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union is objecting to a plan by Detroit city officials to turn over an abandoned nursery to Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit group. What's the problem, exactly?

Using privately raised funds and volunteers, the group would restore the nursery and use it to provide mature trees to neighborhoods. Greening already plants 2,000 trees a year throughout the city.

But the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees obtained an injunction from Wayne County Circuit Court against the deal, saying it violates the collective bargaining agreement. The union says the bargaining agreement applies to any deals to turn over control of city operations to a third party -- meaning city workers must staff the nursery.

...

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Quick Hits -- June 1, 2008

Will Collins — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:25:14 -0400

A few Right to Work-related updates from over the weekend:

Michigan Union Boss Makes Fact-Free Case Against Ending Forced-Dues Gravy Train

Will Collins — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:42:57 -0400

The Detroit News has just published a remarkably fact-free op-ed on the economics of the Right to Work issue. Given the author makes his living from Big Labor's forced dues gravy train (he's a treasurer with the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights) which is partly responsible for Michigan's ongoing economic nightmare, it's no wonder he would be alarmed by the talk of cancelling union bosses' compulsory union dues privileges in Michigan.

The author starts out with this mind-boggling passage:

The Right to Work Advantage

Patrick Semmens — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:24:50 -0400

As we've said before in this space, defending the rights of employees' not to be forced to pay dues to get or keep a job is the right thing to do no matter the economic ramifications. Fortunately though, there are economic benefits to protecting employees' Right to Work, as many studies by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research have found.

And a new paper released yesterday by the Michigan-based Mackinac Center, again confirms the Right to Work economic advantage:

In the key metrics of economic growth, Right to Work states have a distinct advantage when it comes to unemployment rates, income growth, population increases and jobs.

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Michigan Union Boss Whines About Right to Work

John Powell — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:01:01 -0500

Over at the Times Herald’s opinion section, another union boss whined about the growing Right to Work movement in Michigan. The ex construction union chief had this to say:

“If Michigan becomes a right-to-work state, you might as well pack your bags and leave it.”

The problem is (as we have repeatedly reported here) Michiganders are already leaving the state – precisely because of Big Labor’s forced unionism stranglehold. The lack of a Right to Work law has not only deprived employees of their freedom of association, but it has also contributed to Michigan’s skyrocketing unemployment levels and heavy taxes.

Right to Work laws guarantee that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or not to join, nor to pay dues to a labor union. It’s no wonder Michiganders are packing their bags for Right to Work states.

Let’s hope that this situation changes before the state’s economy collapses.