Come November, Michigan voters may get a chance to decide whether their state protects collective bargaining rights. The constitutional amendment would prevent Michigan from banning union shops. It would stop the state from being able to pass the kind of so-called "right to work" law now in effect in 23 states. And despite the long decline of union membership nationwide and the mixed results for unions in the Wisconsin recalls, Michigan's labor initiative has a real chance.
This being Michigan, the process is kind of a mess. The measure has been challenged by a business group with ties to the Chamber of Commerce and the elections board. Operating under an order from a lower court, the state elections board on Monday certified the question for the ballot. Now the business group can appeal to the high court, but for now the measure is going forward.
The side pushing the pro-union question, Protect Our Jobs, posted a new ad today featuring Chrysler worker Stacie Steward. Full transcript:
This plant was on the death list. Now we've added and a shift and we're expanding. Our industry is coming back, and we are fighting for our future. We're making vehicles better than ever, bringing jobs back to America from Mexico. We have paid the government ahead of schedule. We have all pulled together through tough times. Collective bargaining is what got us here -- management and workers negotiating. It's not just about my job. It's about this plant, this whole community. Protect collective bargaining. Vote yes.
Tying union rights to the rebirth of the auto industry seems to be working. Polls over the last month show that Michigan voters like the idea of protecting collective bargaining, by margins of 10 percent (pdf) and more.
Leave a Comment:
From the Billionaires, the best political music group in the country (IMHO) - for the humor-impaired, it's satire of Republicans
http://www.zget.me/billionaires/music.php?track=stickinit
I'M STICKIN' IT TO THE UNIONS!
All those public employees, we will force them to their knees.
Let them feel the whack of our sharp attack
'Til they give all their hard-earned benefits back!
Every teacher, nurse and cop, every single union shop,
If collectively they can bargain we will see that it will stop!
Chorus:
Oh you can't shame me. I'm stickin' it to the unions!
I'm stickin' it to the unions! Now this fight is on!
Oh you can't shame me. I'm stickin' it to the unions!
I'm stickin' it to the unions! 'Til they’re dead and gone!
All those average working Joes, they're a pimple on our nose.
Any candidate that we think is great
Is the one the working folks oppose!
If the unions cant pitch in, then no Democrats can win.
And we won't have to blow much corporate dough to get our own guys in.
Chorus (Oh you can't shame me...)
And then when we win our war, and the unions are no more,
It is time to bring manufacturing
Back on track to America's shore.
No more will our companies outsource jobs overseas.
Yeah, we'll give those jobs to American slobs, and we'll pay like they're Chinese!
Chorus (Oh you can't shame me...)
by Felonius Ax (Clifford J. Tasner) Based on "Union Maid" by Woody Guthrie
©2010 by Tasner Tunes. All Rights Reserved
What's really sad to see is how truly short Americans memories are; I get that as a people we've been dumbed down (for more reasons than I have room to write); but the truth is that WE have allowed ourselves to be divided by the Oligarchy! WE forget to our own detriment exactly how and why we have: 40 hr. work weeks, vacations, child labor laws, workplace safety laws. All of these were hard fought for rights that our ancestors fought (& in some cases died) for! The Oligarchy didn't just wake up one morning and think ok we've treated our workers badly, so now we'll stop! That the state has now decided that the rights of Unions should be up for a vote is every bit as perverse as voting on LGBT rights, women's rights, "Civil Rights" for African Americans! You may not agree with any of those rights but as the writing goes "All men are created equal...they are endowed by their Creator...That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."
You know the "divide & conquer and Southern Strategy" have been working well on Americans. Unless you have a trust fund, or are listed on the Forbes 500 Richest list, there is NO reason to vote for the GOP! There is NO reason to vote against your fellow American! Sorry, UNIONS are not to blame for why states are going broke, states are going broke because they chose to give their millionaires tax breaks, they chose to use public funds to build stadiums, they've chosen to richly reward with tax-payer money those "private companies" that build roads, schools and bridges with cost over-runs - the states chose and they chose poorly and now it seems that UNION workers are being blamed - so wrong!
These upcoming elections are about choices that WE the PEOPLE need to make, do WE continue to allow the OLIGARCHY to take-over our democracy and disenfranchise US (the 95%), or do we vote out and against these crazy GOP'ers that want to continue these failed policies and demand our democracy back!
Zora- collective bargaining is good thing- but it is not a right- is a matter of contract- that said- at least for the moment it is various cities that are broke and forced in case of some CA cities are attempting Chapter 9 bky cases- in that context exactly what tax breaks did those cities give to millionaires? answer none- the problem is that the cities have promised more in expenditures then they have in revenue- and the city employee contracts are part of the problem-both sides will need to compromise-
It should be a right (to be in unions, and benefit from ALL the wonderful things they do for the lower and middle class employees!) If our country would just go back to charging the top 10% no less than 50% (FIFTY PERCENT) taxes (or more) we wouldn't have a problem in the world with deficits!
Your a complete disgrace to all women, Rachel!
Rachel is the opposite of a disgrace to women, she is the best thing you have going. She is by far the BEST person on TV fighting FOR woman's rights, gay rights, minority rights, in fact, she is fighting for the 99% rights, the ONLY people Rachel isn't fighting for is the 1% like Mitt Romeny who have so much money they don't know what to do with it (well, actually they do, they HIDE it in other countries so they don't have to pay THEIR FAIR SHARE in our country!
The shame of our country is that voting isn't Mandatory. If it were, Democrats would win EVERY election! Unions are the ONLY way to go (unless you are a corporation, big business, or member of management) I have worked for Walmart, Target, Kmart, Sears, Walgreens, McDonald's, pretty much every big corporation in the world, and they ALL treat NON-unionized employees like DIRT! It's UNIONS that make companies PAY and treat their employees WELL!