Your Guide to Right-to-Work Bills, Lawmakers' Votes
Legislation passed last week in the Michigan House and Senate could reach Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature by Tuesday. Leave a comment or upload a photo if you participate in related demonstrations.
Demonstrators took to the Capitol steps Monday in Lansing to sound off on right-to-work legislation that is poised to become law after Gov. Rick Snyder did an abrupt about-face on the issue last week and a series of related bills passed in the House and Senate.
Larger protests are expected Tuesday when the legislation could reach Snyder's desk for his signature. Patch will be live-blogging from Lansing as the situation develops.
>>Are you participating in the demonstrations? Leave a comment, upload a photo or email Novi Patch and Northville Patch editor Rebecca Jaskot at rebecca.jaskot@patch.com.
Read on for a description of each bill and to find out how lawmakers who represent Novi and Northville voted.
House Bill 4054
The legislation that would make Michigan a "right-to-work" state was passed 58 to 52 in the House on Dec. 6, according to michiganvotes.org. The bill would prohibit unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a term of employment. It also includes a $1 million appropriation to make it "referendum-proof," michiganvotes.org reports. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)
- Rep. Hugh Crawford, R-Novi, representing the 38th District including Novi and Northville: Voted yes
- Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth, representing the 20th district including Northville: Voted yes
Senate Bill 116
The legislation that would make Michigan a "right-to-work" state was passed 22 to 16 in the Senate on Dec. 6, according to michiganvotes.org. The bill would prohibit unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a term of employment. It also includes a $1 million appropriation to make it "referendum-proof," michiganvotes.org reports. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)
- Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, representing the 15th District including Northville and Novi: Voted yes
- Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton, representing the 7th District including Northville: Voted yes
House Bill 4003
The legislation that would extend right-to-work regulations to government and school employees passed 22 to 4 in the Senate on Dec. 6. It passed 63 to 46 in the House on June 8, 2011, according to michiganvotes.org. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)
- Rep. Hugh Crawford, R-Novi, representing the 38th District including Novi and Northville: Voted yes
- Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth, representing the 20th district including Northville: Voted yes
Sandra Pierzynski
9:50 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Heise needs to go as well as the nerd Snyder! How unprofessional to pass this law real quick. This is a setup by other republicans who are still upset about the election.
Cynthia Bullington
8:32 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
This is just another example of elected officials ignoring the wishes of their constituency. The November ballot proposal to make Michigan a right to work state was soundly defeated. Evidently our state representatives, senators and the governor feel the voters are too stupid to make such decisions.
Novi Homeowner
11:34 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
something like passing a healthcare law that no one wanted, and still don't!!!!!!
Novi Homeowner
11:33 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
finally Michigan is doing something to help the residents of the state and NOT UNIONS. I am happy to see that members now have the right to say, "not with my dues monies"
Herb Helzer
5:48 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Union members ARE residents of the state -- TAXPAYING citizens, with homes and families and mortgages. One of THEM might even he a "Novi Homeowner," just like you!!
Also, union members have ALWAYS had the right to opt out of paying towards their union's political action committees.
Ernie McLaughlin
1:00 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Cynthia, voters in Michigan defeated every pro union proposal on the ballot. there was no right to work proposal on the ballot in November. If the unions are worth their salt they will be able to keep their members happy and the right to work law will have no effect
Herb Helzer
5:44 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Voters defeated EVERY Proposal, including the one desperately wanted by Gov. Snyder; the one supported by the various Tea Party groups, Americans for Prosperity and Grover Norquist; and the one for which the Odious Billionaire Matty Moroun spent some $50 million (from beginning to end) trying to pass.
The "No on Everything" message resonated with low-information voters.
Given that, should Proposal 2 have been put on the ballot? Probably not, but given the sheer volume of anti-worker and anti-union bills passed in 2011 and 2012, the idea of an amendment to roll back the onslaught and get us back to the labor-management status quo of 2010 had appeal.
But really, Ernie...the election was just five weeks ago -- and you're already forgetting what happened?
Patrick J Oneil
9:18 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The RTW will have a huge effect on all citizens of Michigan, which should now be renamed Michissippi. WHen enacted elsewhere RTW has always lowered wages and benefits for all workers, decreased school funding and dropped property values. The wage gap widens between men, women and minorities. The increase in jobs are in unskilled minimum wage positions.
chris. roznowski
11:15 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I agree with Novi homeowner and Gov; Synder. Many of the union protesters showed their true color with violence. As for State Rep; should he should be a shamed of his self with threates of violence and also Jackson. People should have a choice if they want to belong or not and not be bullied.
Ernie McLaughlin
6:02 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Herb Helzer's comment had NOTHING to do with my comment to Cynthia that there was no "right to work" proposals on the ballot last November. Thus it was not soundly defeated. Maybe Mr. Helzer is the one who doesn't remember the election results. EVERY PRO-UNION PROPOSAL WAS DEFEATED----REMEMBER??
Herb Helzer
2:24 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
And shouting about it really gives that aura of reasonablemess one could respect.
Perhaps you prefer your schooling as a metaphor:
Earlier this year, a bus departed on a journey to a city called Passage. Six passengers had secured tickets, and were on board: Two union members, an environmentalist, a Tea Party activist, Gov. Rick Snyder (an unwilling passenger, to be sure, but traveling nonetheless) and Odious Billionaire Manuel "Matty" Moroun (who had also bought the Tea Partier's ticket).
Sadly, before reaching its destination, the bus is broadsided by a big truck and pushed right off the road. None of the passengers are seriously injured, but the bus is a total loss, so none will reach the city of Passage...and the different things the six wanted end up not happening.
Your argument is that the truck was specifically TARGETING the two union members on board. I'm saying that the "No on Everything" semi was after the BUS, with only minor (and conflicting) motives for or against ANY of the six passengers (proposals).
We clear?