Chants of "Shame on you" rained down from a packed Michigan state Senate gallery Thursday as the state's lame-duck GOP legislature advanced legislation giving workers the right to opt out of union membership.
Labor unions and Democrats in the state legislature, some of whom walked out on the vote, lambasted the rush move as a stealthy subversion of the public will in labor-heavy Michigan.
"Republicans who got defeated up and down the ballot are using this lame-duck legislature to try and jam through legislation that flies in the face of what the voters wanted," said Bob McCann, the spokesman for the state's Senate Democratic Caucus. "It's a disgusting process and a disgusting result."
Michigan's house passed two bills and the state Senate approved one that would make Michigan a "right to work" state in which public and private workers could opt out of union membership and dues. The bills must be now voted on by the opposite chamber before going to Gov. Rick Synder, who supports the change.
Twenty-three U.S. states have similar legislation, according to the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation. Republican supporters, including Gov. Rick Snyder, said the proposal would improve the state's economic competitiveness.
"Under freedom to work, Michiganders will have the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union," Snyder said. "They won't be forced to pay union dues if they don't want to, and they won't lose their jobs because of it. And if they want to pay dues voluntarily, they have the freedom to do that, too."
Synder announced the surprise plan to reporters Thursday morning. Within hours, thousands of labor supporters descended on the capitol building in Lansing to protest, but were met by police who used pepper spray to keep some of them out of secure areas.
Gleason complained that Republicans used a legislative maneuver -- placing the provisions in an appropriations bill -- to prevent voters from having the opportunity to overturn the decision.
"If you dedicate funds to legislation, it can't be overturned by the public," he said.
Lawmakers also skipped committee hearings that normally precede the final passage of legislation, McCann said.
"That's a complete subversion of how the legislative process is supposed to work," he said. "They've just completely thrown that out the window."
McCann said it's likely Democrats would challenge the validity of the legislation in court if it wins final approval.
State law requires the House to wait five days before considering the bill.
Michigan, with its ties to the auto industry, has long been a stronghold for the labor movement; 671,000 residents of the state are union members. But the state has suffered economically in recent years and Synder said employers need the flexibility to compete with businesses in neighboring Indiana and other states with right-to-work laws.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/us/michigan-labor-protests/index.html
Labor unions and Democrats in the state legislature, some of whom walked out on the vote, lambasted the rush move as a stealthy subversion of the public will in labor-heavy Michigan.
"Republicans who got defeated up and down the ballot are using this lame-duck legislature to try and jam through legislation that flies in the face of what the voters wanted," said Bob McCann, the spokesman for the state's Senate Democratic Caucus. "It's a disgusting process and a disgusting result."
Michigan's house passed two bills and the state Senate approved one that would make Michigan a "right to work" state in which public and private workers could opt out of union membership and dues. The bills must be now voted on by the opposite chamber before going to Gov. Rick Synder, who supports the change.
Twenty-three U.S. states have similar legislation, according to the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation. Republican supporters, including Gov. Rick Snyder, said the proposal would improve the state's economic competitiveness.
"Under freedom to work, Michiganders will have the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union," Snyder said. "They won't be forced to pay union dues if they don't want to, and they won't lose their jobs because of it. And if they want to pay dues voluntarily, they have the freedom to do that, too."
Synder announced the surprise plan to reporters Thursday morning. Within hours, thousands of labor supporters descended on the capitol building in Lansing to protest, but were met by police who used pepper spray to keep some of them out of secure areas.
Gleason complained that Republicans used a legislative maneuver -- placing the provisions in an appropriations bill -- to prevent voters from having the opportunity to overturn the decision.
"If you dedicate funds to legislation, it can't be overturned by the public," he said.
Lawmakers also skipped committee hearings that normally precede the final passage of legislation, McCann said.
"That's a complete subversion of how the legislative process is supposed to work," he said. "They've just completely thrown that out the window."
McCann said it's likely Democrats would challenge the validity of the legislation in court if it wins final approval.
State law requires the House to wait five days before considering the bill.
Michigan, with its ties to the auto industry, has long been a stronghold for the labor movement; 671,000 residents of the state are union members. But the state has suffered economically in recent years and Synder said employers need the flexibility to compete with businesses in neighboring Indiana and other states with right-to-work laws.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/us/michigan-labor-protests/index.html