… Jolly Show" on WTCM in Traverse City. Kersey discussed his research into how much Michigan taxpayers contribute in the form of agency fees to labor unions that represent state employees, why the Employee Free Choice Act would be bad for employees and why Michigan laborers need right-to-work protections. …
The union contract between Dearborn Public Schools and the American … v. AFSCME. The contract’s union security section lays out an arrangement between the union and the district to ensure employees pay the union. Page 11 of the contract, which the union and school board agreed to …
… Workers who do not belong to a union cannot be charged grievance … Within the public sector, unions currently have monopoly power … Because of this, allowing the union to not represent employees … undermine worker freedom and allow unions to use grievance fees as leverage … pressure people to join the union. Those who don’t join would …
… workers have to pay dues to a union. But that doesn't mean Michigan … worker rights. Here's what union officials don't want you to know: As a union member, you have a right to … not happy with the way your union is running things, the National … vote of the members of your union to decide whether you want …
… approved a proposal to require unions to get the consent of state … want to join and maintain union membership. But unions and their allies are not happy. … allow workers to opt out of union dues. Michigan AFL-CIO President … According to The Detroit News, unions said this was “an unconstitutional …
… whether to join and pay a union — or not. That makes right-to-work … prohibiting employers and unions from forcing people to pay a union in order to keep a job and … without forced unionization. Unions decry right-to-work laws, … presidential hopefuls pander to labor unions by saying they want to use …
… n asked why they stay in a union, some teachers cite a fear … may want to opt out of the union at their workplace, dropping … regardless of whether they are a union member or not. Of course, union membership includes some features … other organizations. When a union organizes a workplace such …
… educators who want out of the union is wrong. The side that supports … people to financially support a union to keep their jobs has a standard … are freeloaders — receiving union benefits while not wanting … biggest: The MEA, like many unions, spends very little money … filing, which details the union's finances, the MEA spends only …
… which Iran’s independent trade unions operate; an environment that … contrast should wake up Michigan unions and give them a better sense … workers. Independent trade unions entered the fray to battle … contrast to Michigan’s current union battles. The fights we have … case in Iran. Unlike Iranian union leaders, who face the threat …
… government shows that the union membership rate in 2023 dropped … who are members of a labor union is down to 10%, which is half … time, there were 17.7 million union workers. That’s down to 14.4 … increased. This means the rate of union membership has plummeted. … sector workers, the rate of union membership has slowly and steadily …
… of Michigan’s largest labor unions saw massive declines in membership, … to choose whether to join a union, as a member or through a fee, … not. The reports many labor unions are required to file with … reveal the state of labor union membership, as do reports from … one of Michigan’s 15 largest unions or so has seen a decline, …
… about the kids. Here's how one union official put it in a press release: … matters.” It is true that unions typically negotiate over this stuff, but compared to what unions spend most of their time writing into … current Dearborn Public Schools teachers union contract and provides a glimpse … by public school teachers unions: As you can see, resources …
… unveiled legislation that is a union wish list: it limits the freedoms … gives more power to labor unions, who are often some of the … is that it would reinforce unions’ ambition to continually divide … mentality. The PRO Act would give unions the right to demand from employers … when discussing unionization, unions get unfettered access to employees …
… employees can resign from a union at any time of the year. On … the state’s largest teacher union, the Michigan Education Association, … member’s resignation from the union unless it is submitted in writing … the right to resign their union memberships at will, and makes … Section 10 (20) (a), for a union to restrict that right,” Judge …
… be fired for not paying a union came up, many of the points being made by unions and their democratic allies … advance these bills was that a union shouldn’t be forced to represent … this argument is straw man. Unions do not want, and in fact vocally … change could let public sector unions represent only their members. …
Another Michigan union has used its newsletter to post the names … have to financially support a union as a condition of employment. Workers say the union is bullying them and creating … belonging and paying dues to the union. Bob Brezovsky, president … & Die Unit, wrote in the union's online publication: “The employees …
… and big business. Turns out, unions are the top spenders in politics. … from 1989 to 2014 have been unions, which overwhelmingly support … Municipal Employees was No. 2. The union, which represents Detroit workers … went to the GOP. The parent union for the Michigan Education … money in politics. The other unions making the Top 10 for donations …
… services and reform efforts in public education, among other things, about 40 union workers and community activists protested outside the Cox Convention Center … of the Central Oklahoma Community Forum, which he said was comprised of unions and faith-based organizations, said the ALEC signs were used because they …
… president of a local teachers union incorrectly told his members … contributed to if they left the union. Todd Mignerey, a high school … Flushing Education Association union president, sent the email in … 11-page PDF document entitled, “Union Membership Has Benefits, Why … Center for Public Policy, said unions cannot get better deals for …
… proposal last year, and labor unions are seeing green. Big Labor … state regulations to grow union revenue. After Michigan became … in 2013, most its largest unions have seen big declines in … have rendered it illegal for unions to force workers to pay them … caregivers and more. But unions are not taking this laying …
The largest public sector union in Michigan is the Michigan … political strength of the union, which became one of the key … to pay dues or fees to the union. In 2012, the MEA spent millions … than state law, by enshrining union privileges in the state constitution. … rights to disassociate from a union by passing a right-to-work …
… are represented by six main unions. Five of these were affected … effect in 2013. (The other is a union for state police officers, … exempted from the law.) These unions are the Michigan State Employees … to remain members of these unions after they were allowed to … had different effects on the unions, but all have lost a sizable …
… desperate to drum up business for unions and work for itself, intends … one-sided. Workers at non-union companies will be reminded of their right to form a union, but the notices say nothing … workers can remove an unwanted union. Union representation is supposedly …
School employee unions including the Michigan Education Association … children. However, a new study of union membership rates among all … privatestrongly suggests that union opposition to school choice … represented byand paid dues toa union. But unions represented teachers in only …
Union membership as a percentage of the workforce declined both … nearly in half over 35 years. Union membership rates remained higher … (34.4 percent). Public sector unions took a blow in 2018 when the … longer be required to pay union fees as a condition of employment. … of that decision on overall union membership is, as yet, uncertain. …
… that reserve construction work for union labor alone. This may sound all … workers are not unionized. That means union preferred labor agreements discriminate … in Lansing was constructed under a union preference agreement to the tune of … quality services if all workersnot just union membersare allowed to compete for …
… cannot be forced to pay a union as a condition of employment. Union officials expressed outrage. … year removed from the ruling, union officials are downplaying its … for three reasons. First, union leaders know there are few verifiable numbers to cite. Many unions annually file reports that …
… set to take effect in March, unions — primarily representing public … whether either side will join with the unions and endorse this ploy. The unions are drafting decade-long “union security agreements” or “agency … requiring employees to pay full union dues or agency fees as a condition …
… all the goings-on between union boss, “investment consultants,” … it illustrates how damaging union corruption can actually be. … Partners. In return, the Carpenters union invested $77 million with AA … embezzled $24 million from various union pension funds. To the extent … matters. To put it bluntly, union carpenters throughout the state …
Unions may tout the value of defined-benefit pensions, but a … pension programs shows that union pension plans in particular … outside of government and in non-union workplaces are not without … That's especially the case when union multi-employer pension funds … retirees. The looming crisis in union pension funds is one more example …
… school resources to collect union dues. House Bill 4233 was … between schools and teachers unions. Read it for yourself: House … funding to exclusively benefit unions offers no such benefit.” … right to opt out of labor unions. Legislators cannot undo … laws to make life easier for unions. That’s what House Bill 4233 …
… and workers have turned sharply against using union labor. Thanks to a recent court ruling, unions can demonstrate against a company whose employees are content to not belong to a union. According to an industry advocate, the Michigan …
… of teachers to leave their unions despite the unions' attempts at erecting obstacles, … Foundation in 2016 after his local union ignored his resignation request. … August, as requested by the union — during an “opt out window” … Foundation. “But it also shows unions nationwide that groups like …
… come the following updates on union corruption investigations in … Litchfield Independent Workers Union Local 373 (located in Litchfield, … to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $50,501.99. … on one count of embezzling union funds in the same amount. The … with one count of concealing union records. The information follows …
… little advantage to joining the union. In response, the American … Municipal Employees Local 1603 union posted his name on a list at … state law and opted out of the union. VanDenHeuvel and three other … workers to pay dues or fees to a union as a condition of employment. … She had been a member of the union for 27 years before opting …
… Michigan workers’ right to choose union membership or reject it, claiming … protect workers’ rights. But union membership numbers during the … not wish to be forced into a union. Although the state has seen … number of jobs since 2012, union membership has declined by … members chose to leave their unions while they had the right. …
… least $3 million to provide union officials with “release time,” … districts pay employees to work on union business rather than teaching … time agreements with local unions where taxpayers pay for a … work part- or full-time on union business, instead of in the … day working for the local union rather than taxpayers. That …
… $3 million a year to allow union officials time to work on union business rather than teach … about the privilege known as union release time in a recent op-ed … six-figure salaries of these union employees, but also for the … from the classroom to fund union work. The Taylor school district, …
… April 1, but in that time unions could resort to at least two … probably going to see the union giving up the moon to get an extension of their union security clause," said F. Vincent … law, workers must wait for a union contract to expire before opting … dues or fees. In that time, unions may try to extend contracts …
… promised to be “the most pro-union president in American history.” … who want nothing to do with union membership. Earlier this year, … Department survey showed that union membership continues to fall. In 2021, the number of union workers declined by 241,000, and private-sector union membership now stands at merely …
… unionize, launching speculation on the role of unions in today's economy. F. Vincent Vernuccio contributed … “Room for Debate” on the subject, arguing that the union will be most successful if it abandons traditional union practices and acts in a way that will reward creativity …
LANSING — Union officials purposely withheld information teachers … which they could leave the union, they are now forced to continue … members can only opt out of the union during the month of August. … out and must continue paying union dues. Miriam Chanski, a kindergarten … that she planned to leave the union. "I put that I was opting …
… dollars per year in dues to unions, but it’s very difficult for … requirements for government unions, asking for only a few numbers … categories. Under this system, union members cannot assess if their union is spending their dues money … requires more disclosure by unions. Mehrens is an labor expert …
Does Your Union Deliver on Its Promises? Many of Michigan's … employees belong to a labor union that acts as their exclusive … the bargaining table. All union members can appreciate the … under-performing, abusive, or unresponsive union. If you feel trapped in a substandard union, this brochure is for you. …
… lot of recent coverage about unions making a comeback. Organized … “After decades of declining union membership, organized labor … assumptions. And rumors of union recovery have been turning out … “What’s Behind Resurgence of Unions?” David Broder, Washington … Movement and the Resurgence in Union Organizing” Kate Bronfenbrenner, …
The latest news on the union corruption front, courtesy of our friends at the Department of Labor, Office … guilty to one count of embezzling $5,283.20 of union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation … others resulting in him receiving $3,656.02 in union funds to which he was not entitled. The charge …
… again — whether this means unions in America are back. They … prospects for decades. The unions that exist right now are built … companies. We need better unions. But we’ll have to change … view, those who are not in a union are at risk of oppression by … assumptions underlie current union practices. Managers empowered …
… money is extracted to pay union bosses not for their assigned … duties, but for time spent on union business. That’s because their … city councils have signed union labor contracts that require taxpayers to compensate union stewards to do union work on government time. The …
… Regional Council of Carpenters uses non-union labor to protest a Grand Rapids-area businessman. What's worse, the union has even recruited demonstrators who … very same businessman targeted by the union. Read the full story. This video … have turned sharply against using union labor.
… decisive moment came when his union, UAW Local 898, ran an article … Obamacare. The realization that his union dues were being used for politics … a new organization called "Union Conservatives." The purpose behind Union Conservatives is to provide … support the basic idea of unions but are troubled by unaccountable …
Many public unions have negotiated release time into their contracts, allowing publicly employed union officials to receive a salary … all or part of their time on union business. A bill that would … While no one disputes there is union business to be conducted, and … waste and should be funded by union dues, not taxpayers.… “It’s …
… contract with a unique voluntary union membership provision that permits … Education Association (MEA), the union a majority of teachers chose … employees can today refuse union membership regardless of contract … Academy and the local MEA union affiliate signed the contract … The contract specifies that union dues, which average about $600 …
… organized labor." And one union in Michigan claimed it was … to join or pay a fee to a union to keep their job. The teachers union contract from the Spring Lake … established in accordance with Union procedures." If teachers still … join, but either way, pay the union. And if you couldn't do that …
… disadvantage under the state’s new union-backed laws. The Mackinac Center for … systems to put students before teachers unions by taking a close look at their existing … experience significant changes. Teachers unions will likely demand that school boards … evaluation, placement and pay prioritize union seniority over student learning. That …
… are unionized may opt out of union membership at any time. This ruling matters because unions often erect bureaucratic barriers … Relations Statute could leave the union in light of the U.S. Supreme … and freedoms, and guarding unions’ institutional interests in … bargaining‑unit employees and unions are not one and the same when …
… Michigan taxpayers to subsidize unions and their political activities. … tax credit to dues-paying union members as of January 1 of this year. If union members’ dues exceed their … proposal means taxpayers, not union members, will be paying 100% of union dues ― and the dues themselves …
… When a teacher pays dues to a union, how is that money used? Probably … teachers, who pay dues to the union expecting professional representation, not union-backed pornography. Yet the … partnership from teachers' unions across the country – from … It’s not the only example of unions going astray. In early September, …
… observation: “The fact is union membership has typically dropped … whether or not to be in the union would result in more people choosing not to be union members. But the data does … available yet on how Hoosier union members have responded. Both … rate of decline. From the Union Membership and Coverage Database, …
… Teachers cannot totally leave the union because their contract is in … simply sending a letter to the union at any time during the year. … fee payers or leaving the union as part of the state's right-to-work … out of paying money to their unions when their current contract … Federation of Teachers. The DFT union constitution reads: "A member …
National union membership numbers may explain why organized … want to be represented by unions. Michigan’s unions rejoiced in March when Lansing … workers do not believe the union is their best workplace representative. … workers could freely leave their union, many did so. The American …
… – the historic bastion of union power – became a right-to-work state, most of its largest unions have seen a significant decline … be members and pay dues to unions. Since then, nine of the 11 unions that must file reports with … 10th-most. Michigan’s largest unions have seen a net loss in membership …
Another union is trying to intimidate some former members by … their rights and left the union. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local … state who opted out of the union after the state's right-to-work … effect as "freeloaders." The union printed the names in its winter …
… 97th legislature were welcomed by union members here on Wednesday. Well, … attempts at intimidation by a handful of union protesters gathered outside the building … are consequences for voting against union interests. In reality, it was just a sparsely attended rally for union members to vent their anger and mug …
… “Public support for labor unions is at a nearly 60-year high,” … Gallup. But statistics on union membership in Michigan suggest … member of and pay dues to a union. Hundreds of union members protested at the Michigan … rioters. Since that time, unions in the state have seen a significant …
… in the Park Library Auditorium. The topic will be “The Future of Labor Unions in Michigan.” Also scheduled to participate are former Lt. Gov. John Cherry, … circumvents right-to-work and locks teachers into financially supporting the union for the next decade.
… directly, but he has taken a pretty firm line on government employee benefits (Here's the video, forward to about 5:00), something that’s bound to make union officials in Michigan uncomfortable. Snyder may portray himself as a nerd, but he may find himself among the trendsetters.
… government subsidies as a source for union dues, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organized Michigan's home health … belonging to a government employees' union, with dues skimmed from their clients' … help Frank is instead going to the union she wishes to have no part of.
… made two decisions involving union contracts that cost the district … unanimously approved a teacher union contract that called for 12.5 … in 2012-13. If government union school employees paid the same … many critics of government union collective bargaining say is … Board have strong ties to unions. School board member Benjamin …
… 2011, at several locations around the state, including Lansing. Several union members and others gathered in the Capitol building to announce their new … right-to-work laws. These laws allow workers to choose whether or not to join a union at their place of employment.
… they decide not to join a union. The House passed the repeal … are unmistakable, even if unions and their Democratic allies … themselves whether to join a union. That freedom leads to a more … that force workers to pay unions. What’s more, the right-to-work … workers have opted out of union membership, depriving unions …
… simply seek to decertify the union. But can they? Take the case … want a government-employee union skimming money from the payment … $22,000 in postage. From the union’s perspective, this is the beauty … percentage of prospective union members are aware of the election … Service Employees International Union. The rest, many completely …
… “particularly in the South,” the union announced this week. “In the … industry comes online,” the union said. “These jobs will supplement, … smaller auto industry. “Non-union autoworkers are being left … continues: “It’s time for non-union autoworkers to join the UAW … announce that we are forming a union,” the recruiting site explains. …
… Chanski wants to leave her union, the Coopersville Education … right-to-work law, but the union will not let her leave, and … Commission against their local unions and the MEA, challenging the one-month August window the union says is the only time they … until this past spring when a union representative came into her …
Both automakers and the union that represents autoworkers are … of employment, to join the union. That means the fate of the … industry is tethered to a union with wandering eyes. No sooner … broken in negotiations where union officials swore reputational … workers in the shaky hands of a union whose leadership struggles …
… employees no longer must pay union fees as a condition of employment. … whether to join or pay fees to a union. The court, in Janus v. AFSCME, held that public agencies and unions may not collect any form of … Nonmembers who previously left the union do not need to resign again … longer wishes to belong to the union or pay fees may constitutionally …
… were dangerous and unfair. Unions were often bitterly opposed … Few today would dispute that unions had a valid purpose in 1894, when standing with a union required courage. But the improved … workers feel a need for a union to represent them. In the last 33 years, union membership has dropped across …
… Association wandered off the union's message at a Senate committee … typically rank highly on the union’s complaint list and the MEA … member, contradicted his own union's talking point. Garay told … Than Decades Past MEA Says Union Members Should Have Known About … Wouldn't Tell Us How To Leave Union Disrespect, Bullying Convinces …
… a request the Center filed with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission requesting that MERC promulgate a new rule to help make public-sector union members more aware of their rights during so-called opt-out time frames.
… forced to financially support a union in order to keep their jobs. Although federal law permits unions and employers to force workers to pay for union representation in the workplace, … to forcing workers to pay unions for representation in the … arena. Over three-fourths of union workers are not aware that …
Unions in Michigan represent over 900,000 workers and take in … political power, requirements that unions disclose their financial dealings … which governs private-sector unions, is needed but unlikely in … the lead by passing its own Union Accountability Act, requiring … independent audits of public-sector union affiliates active in the Great …
… employee for refusing to pay union dues or agency fees, some opponents … will still be covered by the union contract. They refer to those … "No one is forced to join a union," said House Democratic Caucus … been brought up repeatedly by unions and their supporters. When … under a right-to-work law, union heads are implying that they …
… refusing to show up and vote on union-related legislation because … no right to walk away from union bargaining tables. Refusing … bargain in good faith with a union subjects offenders to charges … words, no one walks out on a union. Lawmakers who walk out of … exercising an ability the unions they support deny to everyone …
… In exchange, the carpenters union hired Jewett’s company as a … Mabry was the highest-paid union official in the state. Mabry … lost their enthusiasm for the union movement, leading to a slow, steady decline in union membership. Unionized workers … the state to look out for union members means that thousands …
… contracts out work with non-union companies for its own janitorial … The state's largest teachers union had contracts with six companies … bother this old industrial union of janitors, bus drivers, food … recent annual conference, the union had several sessions on "fighting … inconsistent. He said if the union truly opposes privatization …
… longer automatically withdraw union dues from paychecks will be … Education Association, said a union president whose teachers left the MEA to start a local union. "They will have to recalculate … from the MEA last year. "Most union members don't think twice about … overpaying — to support their union." The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court …
… American Federation of Teachers union. The contract appears to defy … constitutional right not to pay union dues or fees. The contract … employee represented by the Union who chooses not to become a member of the union or who after joining the union decides to resign is subject …
… The bids received from both union and non-union firms exceed the state's budget … costs "non-negotiable" for non-union companies bidding on state … "prevailing" wage rates are based on union wage and benefit scales. The … classifications present in unions. This places non-union competitors …
The teachers union at the Dearborn public school district recently … that they will keep paying union dues rather than exercise their … school employees must pay union dues until their current union contract expires in 2018 — … to deduct slightly reduced union dues called "agency fees" for any …
… releasing employees to perform union functions while they are paid … more time was devoted to the union’s activities than was being … injured while performing a union function.[6] She initially … she had been performing a union-related function during her … approved Official Time. She was a union steward, and chose to attend …
… choose, many decide to flee the unions in favor of professional associations … whether to join or leave a labor union,” nationally, 83 percent of … protection. And unlike the union coverage, explains Freeze, … a chain of command at the union when making a claim. Additionally, … be determined by reading a union’s LM-2 form filed with the federal …
… the wrong party. Asking the unions for alternatives to PA 4 is … the war in the Pacific. The unions are not likely to give us … government. A self-respecting union leader with any regard for … something a self-respecting union leader would want to insist … bankruptcy, and any self-respecting union leader wouldn't want it to …
Labor Policy Director F. Vincent Vernuccio in the Lansing State Journal explains how unions, in order to succeed, have to return to their original mission of serving members and abandon their century-old model that focuses on an adversarial relationship pitting employees against employer and treats …
… to tell teachers that the union’s so-called August Window remains illegal and that they may drop union membership at any time,” said … cannot be compelled to remain union members. Furthermore, because … cannot be forced to provide the union additional financial support … Matthew Knapp charged the union with threatening to turn them …
… President Steve Cook has insulted union members who exercise their rights by opting out of the union by calling them "freeloaders." … — they could resign from the union but they still were represented by the union in contract negotiations and … That fee, Cook said on the union's website, "covers only the …
… according to the teachers' union contract, with one exception … Washtenaw County, the teachers' union contract states that the administration … Public Schools, the teachers' union contract states that teacher … removed as coach. The teachers' union contract states that if the … district. A review of teachers' union contracts across the state …
… "facts" that it is handing out to union members. The pamphlet's facts … services for all employees in a union shop, but neglects to mention … work for less states." Fact: Unions and others on the left cannot … forestry, which is irrelevant to union status. Oklahoma became a right-to-work … "false." During fights over union issues, the Michigan Education …
… Service Employees International Union. Employees said union officials had been unresponsive … Healthcare Michigan, the same union that was behind the home health … voted to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). … the workers over to another union and then apparently just walked …
… insurance arm of the state's largest teachers' union has secured a legal judgment against the district … MESSA School District Spends $16,400 Per Student; Union Blames Lack Of Funding For Toilet Paper Shortage … In Wealthiest Areas Michigan Democrat: Teacher Union Leaders Are 'Disconnected' Coverage of School …
