Watch Live: Second House Hearing on IRS Scandal

Check Out Today’s Hot Posts on TheBlaze Blog!

Business

UPDATED: Mich. House Passes Right-to-Work Law

Dec. 11, 2012 12:07pm Becket Adams

The Michigan House approved the first of two right-to-work bills Tuesday that would limit unions’ strength in the Rust Belt capitol of the U.S.

Michigan House passes final right-to-work bill 58-51, Gov. Snyder expected to sign today.

— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 11, 2012

The Republican-dominated chamber passed a measure dealing with public-sector workers 58-51. Still to come was a vote on a second bill focusing on private sector workers. The Senate approved both last week.

When final versions have cleared the House, they’ll go to GOP Gov. Rick Snyder who is expected to sign them into law today.

Passage followed numerous challenges and changes sought by Democrats as well as raucous protests inside and outside the Capitol from pro-union demonstrators. Thousands descended upon downtown Lansing to rally against the legislation that prohibits requiring nonunion employees to financially support unions at their workplace.

Backers say a right-to-work law would bring more jobs to Michigan and give workers freedom. Critics say it would drive down wages and benefits.

Should Gov. Snyder sign the bills into law, Michigan, the longstanding stronghold of unionized labor, will become the second Rust Belt state to adopt right-to-work legislation, something almost unimaginable a year ago.

UPDATE: The Michigan Legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a right-to-work plan to prohibit unions from collecting fees from nonunion workers.

Michigan Legislature gives final approval to right-to-work limiting unions, sends to governor

— FOX News Radio (@foxnewsradio) December 11, 2012

Gov. Snyder is expected to sign the legislation into law as early as Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (112)

OldSurfRat
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:57pm
Yea Buddy!!
Now that’s what I’m talkin about!!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- willingtoupe
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:13pm
  ENCINOM I partly agree with you. Except I must admit…State exercising their powers and rights properly, with out infringement and imprisonment on others, are much better than cowarding out like a bunch hateful soar losers (like the Old Confederates) and succeeding.
  
  Report this comment
- OhioRifleman
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:16pm
  @ Encinom
  
  Didn’t go that way in Wisconsin. What makes you think it will happen here?
  
  Report this comment
- MrSunshine
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:16pm
  Encimoron, when you pay your union dues and have no say it how your union uses that money, doesn’t that make you the serf to your union master? Now crawl back under your union made rock.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:17pm
  LOL Enema
  
  It’s ok you’ll be fine if you have work ethics and skills.
  The unions did not have anything to bitch about. It only states that it is the works choice. What is wrong with that?
  Nothing if you are legit.
  I say bust em and bust em high!!
  
  Report this comment
- dwf1
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:26pm
  Breaking the progs shackle to step back to FREEDOM.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:27pm
  Tea ****** Serfs defending their desire to be abused by their corporate masters, working for little pay and no benefits.
  
  In mixed shops non-union workers benefit from the contracts and working condictions unions baragin for. Union members elected their representatives, like our own democracy.
  
  Right to Be Slave States, like Michigan GOP wants to become, their workers on average have lower pay, less benefits and lead in work related accidents.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:40pm
  Enema
  
  I call BS on your comments. I have worked my whole life in a right to work state and it is great.
  Anybody worth their weight knows unions are a dying JOKE.
  Now scurry back to your union leaders and tell them that we all said blowme.
  
  Report this comment
- willingtoupe
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:46pm
  I am pro Union too ENCINOM…but only for the Union of all 50 States.
  
  Report this comment
- Living In NYC
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 5:59pm
  Now Michigan can be an industrial powerhouse that I remembered as a child! GO MICHIGAN GO!!!
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 10:42am
  There are many “holes” inthat new law…is why it got passed!! Police and Firemen-UNIONS ARE EXEMPT, and many other CHERRY-PICKS!! VERY LITTLE REALCHANGE IS MADE!
  
  Report this comment
mrunner
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:55pm
And one of the Democrat’s on the house floor tweeted out calling for bloodshed. No lie. That is the type of filth that can get elected in the heavy democrat areas here in Michigan.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- E.Souchak
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:01pm
  U.S. Attorney’s Office claims author’s of Blagojevich book “Golden” lying
  
  http://illinoispaytoplay.com/2012/12/10/u-s-attorneys-office-claims-authors-of-blagojevich-book-golden-lying/
  
  Report this comment
- MrSunshine
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 2:51pm
  Ernie is that you?
  
  Report this comment
Robert Hawk
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:54pm
Little by little, the Marxist-Leninist machine is starting to crumble before it can get all of its pieces assembled. Good for Michigan, they can expect big things to come from this change in attitude. They have watched as Marxism-Leninism has forced them into an oblivion of waste and lost jobs. Its high time they changed that scenario and joined with the successful states.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- mikem1969
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:08pm
  One can only hope robert.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 2:08pm
  Sorry, stealing the rights of workers to feed the greed of your corporate masters is not a good thing. I thought the age of the Robber Barons ended, it looks like Tea Baggers, are being used as usefull idiots to bring it back.
  
  Report this comment
- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 2:56pm
  @ENCINOM
  
  Exactly what right is being taking away?
  
  The right to confiscate people’s money who want to work so they can donate them to the DNC? People don’t have the right to not be forced into an association?
  
  Unions have no rights, people do. Of course, you fascists don’t recognize the individual do you?
  
  Report this comment
- searcher619
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 5:15pm
  encinom:
  
  You are yet another naive fool. Fact is Unions are no longer needed. They were needed WAY back when no legislation existed to protect workers from unsafe working conditions and being worked like slaves. Unions helped bring about OSHA laws at the federal and state level which also made unions obsolete. They have become corrupt organizations who’s only purpose is to extort businesses. Unions have chased away all kinds of business. Anyway, there isn’t a single thing Unions do to protect workers that existing federal and state laws don’t already do. People should have a right to work w/o being forced to join an organization they want no part of and not have that organization take a part of their pay against their wishes. Fact is this law now gives union members the freedom they never had before. The freedom to leave the union and keep their jobs if they feel the union isn’t doing anything for them. It’s is not right that you are forced to join a union and give up part of your hard earned pay to a union in order to have a job.
  
  Report this comment
thegreatcarnac
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:51pm
The unions killed themselves. They grew greedy and crooked. They exclusively joined the demo party which is now socialist (at best). They grew more and more socialist and even their rhetoric turned communist in some places. They used thugs. They returned people to work who should have been fired permanently in a real environment. They threw the whole power of the union behind thugs, drug users and drunks so they could stay on the job. They made terrible products. etc.etc.etc.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
mikem1969
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:49pm
YES, now every state needs to pass right to work legislation. No one should ever be forced to join a union just to work somewhere. ALL UNIONS NEED TO BE ABOLISHED.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- copatriots
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:57pm
  0bamacare “encourages” companies to become union. Unions should be abolished but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. And this Michigan fight sure isn’t over once the Feds get involved.
  
  Report this comment
- TheMajority
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:04pm
  I don’t think private unions need to be abolished (but I agree with public unions). But they should be able to survive on their own profits, like every other business. If not, they go out of business, like any other business not tied to communism.
  
  Private unions were developed to have a collective voice if management was misusing human beings. Workers against managment is what it has become.
  
  Public unions managment—-is government, and all tax payers pay for every dime of their worth. When they negociate, they take your money, because they do not make their own profit. That is why I say public unions should not exist, beause government treating their employees better, means the rest of us gets that much poorer.
  
  Report this comment
- mikem1969
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:06pm
  Yea, the government can’t stand for states to make their own rule and regulation can they.
  
  Report this comment
- copatriots
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:10pm
  Agreed, Mike. Eventually the progs want one communist state, not 50 sovereign, united States.
  
  Report this comment
SocialistSlayer
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:47pm
Now they’ll take it to the courts and the Liberal courts will try and shoot it down.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- copatriots
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:54pm
  So…the immature Detroit teachers called in sick today in protest……
  
  http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/18046
  
  Only 7% of eight graders are proficient in reading and 4% in math, does it really matter if these poor kids actually go to school?
  
  Report this comment
- txs_sxs
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:58pm
  You are right. It will be just like California’s Proposition 8.
  
  Report this comment
walnutportconservative
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:42pm
Oh we’re living here in Allentown, and the union people crawled away. Now I work… and without the constraints of unions.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
kindling
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:39pm
If it was in California they would simply give it to the 9th and they would overturn it and you would be back where you started.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- lordjosh
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 3:24pm
  Yeah, you guys out there really need to start ignoring those sychopathic lawyers in black moo-moos.
  
  Report this comment
TheGrtDcptn
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:37pm
‘sign them into law today’

BEST news of the day =)

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
willingtoupe
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:36pm
Money is going to flood the state of Michigan and Drown the city of Detroit. Land and houses are cheap there. Now is a good time for preparation of a Real Estate Boom!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
athiest-infedel
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:36pm
If you need a union to work, maybe you just suck and should be fired. Bust these marxist/obomunist unions. It would piss me off to be required to pay union dues for nothing. The union really helped the hostess workers…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TEIN
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:35pm
Don’t get your hopes up….it will be overturned by a county judge or some federal progressive/libby judge who was appointed by union pay off….

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
waresite
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:34pm
Prop 2 went down in flames last month, and now Right to Work passes. Keep it up Michigan.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- stopprintn
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:44pm
  We be busy !
  
  Report this comment
kindling
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:33pm
Let there be blood then the state can get real teachers not the union thugs that care more about their pocket book than the kids they are indoctrinating to become more union thugs. Unions are simply social acceptable mass welfare programs that demand the recipients to show up and look like they are working. I am sure there are teachers that went into teaching because they loved kids but the ones I see on the news are not them.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
AvengerK
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:30pm
And of course..the community organizer threw his hat in with the unions.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
DougHuffman
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:25pm
““There will be blood,” State Representative Douglas Geiss threatened from the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives today as the body debated legislation that would make Michigan the nation’s 24th right to work state.” Charge him criminally, better now than after the horse is out of the barn.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:45pm
  It is time to stand up to bullies. This includes confronting unions and the government itself. Yes…there may be blood…but it may be their’s.
  
  Report this comment
Vickie Dhaene
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:23pm
Why would a “Government Worker” need protection with the Unions? The Government has laws in place that protect all workers. Unions collect dues and force their political opinions on their workers. Example: Republican union workers have no say on who the Union spends their monies for campaigns and advertizing.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- AmericanStrega
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:31pm
  Neither do the workers of Democrat Unions.
  
  Report this comment
- kindling
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:35pm
  You know…..I have never heard of a Republican union. Can you give any examples?
  
  Report this comment
DougHuffman
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:22pm
Goonions 0 – Right-to-work 2, Michigan and Wisconsin. We won. Bust the goonions, Move on.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
contkmi
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:22pm
You should see/hear all the whiners around here in Michigan. Funny how none of them think they can make it without Uncle Union.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- kindling
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:37pm
  They are simply the bears in the woods that are having their picnic baskets taken away from them. Don’t get between a bear and its free food.
  
  Report this comment
- OhioRifleman
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:22pm
  Actually, I think of them as a bear in the woods with chronic constipation. The laxative (unions), no longer being available, now prevents the bears from sj1tting all over the woods (their state / jobs). Given enough time without the laxative (unions), you will see exactly hoe full of preprocessed biological output the bears truly are.
  
  Report this comment
- DetroitGunClinger
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:39pm
  I think Ohiorifleman pretty much hit the nail on the head!
  
  Report this comment
ares338
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:21pm
Finally….a little sanity!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
JustMyOwnOpinion
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:19pm
Once it gets signed, I may consider moving back there….

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
SquidVetOhio
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:18pm
Finally, an ounce of hope that our country is not completely gone yet.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:17pm
Union 0, Michigan 1….

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- gyro
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:32pm
  this
  
  Report this comment
stopprintn
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:14pm
Does any one know how to do a WAVE when you are sitting alone on your couch?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:38pm
  Carefully.
  
  Report this comment
DetroitGunClinger
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:14pm
We may have just saved my city and my state! God bless all those who stood tough in the face of union thuggery and intimidation!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Cavallo
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:32pm
  And now the Federal DoL will find a way to sue the State just like it did to Arizona. It’ll take decades of fixes to fix MI.
  
  Report this comment

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.