Community activist Lisa Fithian, left, teaches SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Healthcare Michigan member Frank Shaft, 26, of Lansing, and other attendees how to peacefully interact with police officers on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 at UAW Local 600 union hall in Dearborn, Mich. Republican lawmakers are putting the final touches on legislation that would allow workers to opt out of union dues at a business where employees are represented by a union. Gov. Rick Snyder says he will sign it into law. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Todd McInturf)
Shell-shocked opponents of the laws spent the weekend mapping strategy for protests and acts of civil disobedience, while acknowledging the cold reality that Republican majorities in both the House and Senate cannot be stopped — or even delayed for long by parliamentary maneuvers. Leaders vowed to resist to the end, and then set their sights on winning control of the Legislature and defeating Snyder when he seeks re-election in 2014.
"They've awakened a sleeping giant," United Auto Workers President Bob King told The Associated Press on Saturday at a Detroit-area union hall, where about 200 activists were attending a planning session. "Not just union members. A lot of regular citizens, non-union households, realize this is a negative thing."
Right-to-work laws prohibit requiring employees to join a union or pay fees similar to union dues as a condition of employment. Supporters say it's about freedom of association for workers and a better business climate. Critics contend the real intent is to bleed unions of money and bargaining power.
Hundreds of chanting, whistle-blowing demonstrators thronged the state Capitol last week as bills were introduced and approved hours later, without the usual committee hearings allowing for public comment. Even more protesters are expected Tuesday, when the two chambers may reconcile wording differences and send final versions to Snyder, who now pledges to sign them after saying repeatedly since his 2010 election the issue wasn't "on my agenda."
Free men and women also have the right to choose who they work for. Most will apply for a job with high wages, good benefits and working conditions. These good jobs were often won by a collective bargaining agreement between a company and its union. Locally, think of the jobs found at Georgia Power, AT&T, International Paper and Bekaert Steel.
Should not the union, which improved or maintains the agreement, be allowed to assess a fee from the covered workers? I think so. Else the union will fall and the job pay/benefits become mediocre or non-existent.
If you don't like unions, don't apply for a job covered under a collective bargaining agreement.
How about buying HoHo's? Hostess brass got bonuses after spending workers' pensions.
I'll NEVER buy another GM product.
At least get the story straight before you decide what to buy or not buy. It was Chrysler workers that were busted and then given their jobs back, not GM workers. I buy foreign nameplate vehicles made in the United States. Most of the so called American nameplate cars are made in Mexico and Canada. At least the Foreign nameplate cars very rarely have design flaws. If something does fail on the car in can be repaired and have some reasonable expectation that the repair will last a long time. On a lot of American cars they have design flaws that remain even after the new part with the same design flaw is replaced. The unions don't do what they were originally formed to do. That was to protect workers from unsafe and unfair working conditions. They've strayed off to the point that all they do is take money to get the union bosses rich and then protect incompetent workers. OSHA protects the workers with rules and regulations for a safe workplace and there are labor laws enforced by the federal government so the unions really do nothing much for their money except maybe get you some decent health insurance but that's gone now due to ObamaCare kicking in over the next few years. The union exemption for ObamaCare will run out in 2016.
Ford is the only brand I'll drive other than BMW or Mercedes which I've previously owned.