Michigan GOP to public unions: Recertify every two years or die

[TexasTowelie]

Workers in public employee unions would be required to vote every two years on whether they want their union to continue to represent them under a bill sponsored by the Republican state Senate leader.

Senate Bill 1260, introduced Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, was voted out of committee early Wednesday morning by a party-line vote. It hasn’t yet been scheduled for a vote in the full Senate.

“This is about democracy and it's about giving public (union) employees a choice and a voice in who represents them at work,” said F. Vincent Vernuccio, a senior fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a market-oriented think tank based in Midland.

As many as 250,000 workers statewide may be represented by public unions, based on federal data, and labor groups on Wednesday decried the measure as anti-union. Under the bill, unions would have to cover costs of the election — and the names of all members eligible to vote would be published online before recertification votes.

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/public-sector/michigan-gop-public-unions-recertify-every-two-years-or-die

[RainCaster]

1. We knew this, do you think unions will?

The fact that the GOP is toxic for unions.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Oh, dear lord.

This is a bit like the entire "Right to Work" bullshit.

People have no clue what unions have actually done for them. I honestly wish that in a workplace that has a union, someone who refuses to join that union, and god forbid pay dues, would simply not be afforded union benefits and would have to negotiate for pay, time off, vacations, and benefits. They'd soon be working at sub minimum wage, 60 hours a week, no time and a half for overtime, no paid time off, no health care, and see how they like it. THAT'S what it's like without a union.

[safeinOhio]

3. I asked the new Governor elect about

making Michigan a Right To Vote state, she liked the idea.

Because the rep wanted support "Democracy" for Union members. Lets extend those rights to all voters and make sure that there is no taxation without representation. So, how a bout a bill that would exempted any voter from state and local taxes for 4 years if not allowed to vote, their vote is not counted or voting made difficult by local officials?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. Interesting idea, but how would you enact it?

Would you get some kind of card that you show at a check-out register that makes you exempt from the taxes? And how would you know for sure it was *your* vote that didn't get counted, not mine? How about those who choose not to vote?

At least with the non union member getting union benefits, it's easy to know exactly which ones are involved, and only involves the job.

[llmart]

5. I worked with a woman (Republican of course) who complained constantly about paying her dues.

So she quit the union. I rarely discussed politics with her, but I said to her, "you enjoy a decent salary and benefits for someone without a degree. Do you really think you'd have been given that without the union?" No answer. Looking back it's a wonder I kept my cool the years I had to listen to her garbage.