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Unions look ahead on fight over right-to-work
By ALANNA DURKIN and JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press
LANSING, Jan. 17, 2013 (AP): Union leaders looking for an olive
branch from Gov. Rick Snyder in his third State of the
State address say he left them empty-handed, but they vow to
keep fighting to bring down right-to-work legislation enacted
last month.
``We're going to lobby every time we feel it's necessary,'' said
Mike Green, president of United Auto Workers Local
652. ``Not just the UAW, this is working people.''
Labor groups have already joined together with faith and
community groups ``who are equally upset about the damaging
policies of the Snyder administration,'' said Sara Wallenfang, a
spokeswoman for Michigan's American Federation of Labor and
Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Snyder has come under fire for his efforts to swiftly pass the
law, which prohibits requirements that workers pay union dues or
fees as a condition of employment, in the lame-duck session
without holding public hearings. He has called the action
pro-worker and argues it will create jobs in the state, but also
has previously described it as divisive and repeatedly stressed
it wasn't on his agenda.
John Beck,
a professor of labor and industrial relations at Michigan State
University, said unions and their supporters are waging a
``multi-front battle'' that incorporates pursuing legal
challenges, political organizing, internal strategizing and
public relations. He envisions an all-of-the-above approach but
one that emphasizes certain efforts at different times.
The political front comes with the aim of electing Democrats who
would rescind the law to the governor's office, Legislature and
other high offices. He described that as ``a very long game,''
but one with precedence: States including Indiana and Louisiana
have enacted and rescinded the law, or even re-enacted it.
Beck said the labor movement is coalescing in a way that it
never could before right-to-work was passed.
``The interesting thing about it is the worst thing that someone
could have imagined to have happen (to the labor movement) has
... happened,'' he said. ``Now, frankly, they've pulled that
trigger. ... That means they've taken their major shot, so the
labor movement and Democrats are going to do what they can.''
There is already evidence that Snyder's call to raise taxes and
fees for roads will be a battlefront, at least for some. In his
speech, Snyder laid out a proposal for tax and fee increases to
raise an additional $1.2 billion a year to fix Michigan's ailing
bridges and roads.
Although spending money on infrastructure typically finds favor
with Democrats and Snyder needs them to counterbalance
tax-averse conservatives, Beck said many in the minority party
are saying ``he's not to be trusted'' after capitulating on
right-to-work.
``He's banking on the idea that (Democrats) are not going to cut
off their noses to spite their face,'' Beck said.
At the same time, unions are calling Snyder's plan to raise
taxes just another attack on middle-class working families.
Bryan Grochowski,
a scientist and engineer with Lansing's Service Employees
International Union Local 517 said some union members
believe there has been an upside to the right-to-work
legislation in that workers have become stronger by coming
together.
But he compared it to an ``upside of someone in your family
having a stroke.'' While the family may come together and become
stronger, Grochowski said, ``you certainly don't want to have a
stroke.''
Online: Governor's State of State address:
http://on.lsj.com/102KikM
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