An
initiative on the Michigan ballot this November has international unions
pouring money into the state, and local business leaders losing sleep.
If it passes, it will dramatically increase the power of public-sector
unions, and it could stifle the nascent recovery of the state’s
struggling economy. It would also give union bosses a new tool in their
nationwide battle for increased political clout.
Proposal 2, called the “Protect Our Jobs” amendment, would
constitutionally guarantee collective-bargaining rights to both private
and public employees and invalidate any existing state laws that
“abridge, impair, or limit” these rights. Its opponents argue that the
amendment would nullify much of the reform legislation that has passed
since Republican Rick Snyder took the governor’s office in 2011. Upwards
of 170 pieces of legislation could be affected if the proposal passes,
according to state business leaders.“Union contracts will trump state law,” says Jim Holcomb of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, “and that’s not hyperbole.”
Even the proposal’s advocates aren’t completely sure how far its impact could reach. During a legal filing with the state board of canvassers, an attorney for the unions said nobody could determine what specific parts of Michigan law the amendment might affect. “If POJ passes, its interaction with existing constitutional provisions, laws, and ordinances will be determined by the courts on a case-by-case basis,” he explained.
The outcome for the initiative will be hugely consequential in a region of the country where conflict over collective bargaining has drawn national attention over the last year. Unions suffered significant blows when they failed to recall Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin and when Indiana passed right-to-work legislation. But the Chicago Teacher’s Union strike and Ohio voters’ rejection of Governor John Kasich’s reforms concerning public-employee unions show that labor leaders still have a lot of sway in the heartland.
Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/328822/unions-strike-back-michigan-betsy-woodruff
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