Posts tagged Gretchen Whitmer
Opinion: Democrats Are Pushing A Labor Policy Even Their Own Voters Oppose
February 7, 2023 // Now, after the multi-year UAW corruption investigation that saw the conviction of 2 former union presidents and a host of other union officials, Michigan Democrats want to strip away a worker’s ability to hold their union answerable and accountable; in essence to legislate away a worker’s power and give it back to the holders of the union’s purse strings. But the culture has adapted. It’s changed. Compulsion is no longer an acceptable union business model.
Michigan could become first state in nearly 60 years to ditch ‘right-to-work’ law
January 13, 2023 // Michigan was not the first state to enact right-to-work. But it is a state steeped in labor history now poised to become the first state in nearly 60 years to ditch such a law, with Democrats controlling the executive and legislative branches of state government for the first time in four decades.
Michigan Democrats to tackle Right-to-Work. Unions are a top donor
December 19, 2022 // Bridge Michigan analysis shows unions were among the top donors to Democrats, but especially Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and incoming legislative leaders Sen. Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids and Rep. Joe Tate of Detroit. Combined, unions gave $577,500 to the three as of Nov. 28, comprising 31 percent of the $1.9 million the trio collected in group donations, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis. Five big unions alone — the United Auto Workers, Michigan Region of Carpenters, the AFL-CIO, AFSCME and SEIU — made a total of $3 million in political contributions across Michigan during the election, all but $51,000 of which went to Democrats, the analysis shows.
Opinion: Michigan Democrats want to steal my rights so they can reward their union buddies
December 16, 2022 // They say right-to-work leads to "free loaders" who get the benefits of union membership without paying the dues. But under this law, unions actually have to show value to workers to convince them to stick around. Without right-to-work, unions are the real free loaders, taking workers’ dues without having to earn them. There’s also a lot more to the story. I don’t want to pay dues to a union that’s been under a federal corruption investigation for nearly a decade, leading to multiple convictions for embezzlement. And I don’t want to lose the same workplace freedom that government workers have under the Constitution. Public-sector workers are free to leave their union and keep their job. Private-sector workers deserve the same respect. Anything less is both insulting and unjust.
‘A huge opportunity for the labor movement’: Unions jump on newly won Democratic trifectas
December 1, 2022 // And if Democrats succeed in repealing certain laws in Michigan — and in pushing through other union-backed measures — union officials and campaign operatives hope to rekindle the labor movement’s influence in other states. Democrats are putting their energy toward raising the minimum wage, banning so-called captive audience meetings where employers can warn against unionization, and more. “We’re busy preparing our legislative agenda, because we put everything we had into the ground game for this election,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in an interview. “How can we go on offense to pass legislation to protect people’s voice and ability to exercise their rights?”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s to-do list: gun control, tax cuts, Right-to-Work repeal
November 16, 2022 // Republicans and some leading business groups argue repealing the law would make Michigan less competitive in the global fight for automotive and other manufacturing jobs. Voters in Tennessee – where Ford is building a major electric vehicle manufacturing plant – last week voted to protect a Right-to-Work law by adding it to their state’s constitution.
Teachers union spends $1M on Michigan governor’s race
November 2, 2022 // Yet the MEA, along with its parent organization, the National Education Association, is heavily funding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reelection campaign, as well as some Michigan school board races. The NEA is spending $1 million in Whitmer’s favor. The MEA is also endorsing nearly 200 candidates in local school board races and giving more than $1,000 each to many candidates across the state. This amount goes a long way in local school board elections. The NEA and MEA are supporting candidates who will back the status quo. The Washington Examiner reported April 7 that the NEA spent $66 million on political activities and another $117 million on political contributions, gifts, and grants for the 2020-21 reporting cycle. MEA’s total spending for 2022 is not yet available.
Michigan bill would force prevailing wage on private businesses
October 25, 2022 // News Story Michigan bill would force prevailing wage on private businesses Not even Michigan’s old prevailing wage law, which was repealed in 2018, applied to private business By Jamie A. Hope | October 24, 2022Share on FacebookShare on Twitter State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, has pushed for private businesses on to pay the prevailing wage on renewable energy projects. Should State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, find herself in a position of power in January, she will likely require private businesses to abide by a prevailing wage policy when awarding a contractor bid for renewable energy projects. House Bill 6099, introduced by Hood on May 11, would require union wages for private renewable energy projects. Not even the prevailing wage law, which was repealed in 2018, required that. Prevailing wage typically refers to the pay and benefits contractors and vendors are required to offer their employees when doing business with a government agency. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reinstated prevailing wage for those doing business with the state by way of an Oct. 2021 press release. Steve Delie, director of labor policy at Mackinac Center, says Hood’s bill could raise energy costs. “The problem with this bill is the same problem that prevailing wage policies have generally—this will lead to increased costs and decreased competition,” Delie told CapCon. “As we unwisely transition away from reliable energy, this bill would further increase the costs of wind and solar projects, without any accompanying benefit.” Rep. Rachel Hood,
Detroit teachers have an attendance problem
October 19, 2022 // 40% of Detroit teachers were frequently or chronically absent last school year, according to the Detroit Public Schools Community District Detroit’s Superintendents Report from Oct. 11 reveals that teachers in Detroit have absenteeism issues. It placed the share of “Teachers with Excellent or Moderate Attendance” at 60.4% for the 2021-22 academic year. This is down from 83.8% in 2020-21. Pre-pandemic, the teacher rate was at 69.5% in 2018-19 and 82.6% in 2019-20. Last school year, 40% of teachers in Detroit were frequently or chronically absent. Frequently absent means between 11 and 17 days absent, while chronically absent means 18 or more days absent, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Construction trade association sues state over Whitmer’s ‘unilateral’ prevailing wage policy
July 22, 2022 // "The governor has seemingly revived this repealed procedure, but has not done so by either enforcing legislation or through the procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act," wrote ABC of Michigan, represented by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation. "The policy has been implemented by unilateral edict from the governor's office. This is not a proper method of governance and is not binding on plaintiff." ABC of Michigan, Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, Jimmy Greene, Gov. Rick Snyder, Department of Technology Management and Budget, Administrative Procedures Act, DTMB,