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Michigan House Approves 'Right-to-Work' Bill


Amid raucous protests, the Republican-led Michigan House approved a contentious right-to-work bill on  Dec 11 limiting unions' strength in the state where the (Union for American Auto Workers)  UAW was born.

The chamber passed a measure dealing with public-sector workers 58-51 as protesters shouted "shame on you" from the gallery and huge crowds of union backers massed in the state Capitol halls and on the grounds.

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

The right-to-work movement has been growing in the country since Wisconsin fought a similar battle with unions over two years ago.

Michigan would become the 24th state to enact right-to-work provisions, and passage of the legislation would deal a stunning blow to the power of organized labor in the United States.

Wisconsin Republicans in 2011 passed laws severely restricting the power of public sector unions. While Wisconsin did not even attempt to pass right-to-work, the success of Republicans there in curbing powerful unions such as teachers and state workers emboldened politicians in other states to follow suit.

Michigan is home of the heavily unionized U.S. auto industry, with some 700 manufacturing plants in the state. It is also the birthplace of the United Auto Workers, the richest U.S.labor union.

While the new laws are not expected to have much immediate impact because existing union contracts would be preserved, they could, over time, further weaken the UAW, which has already seen its influence wane in negotiating with the major automakers.

Right-to-work laws typically allow workers to hold a job without being forced to join a union or pay union dues.

President Barack Obama waded into the debate during a visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford on Monday, criticizing the Republican right-to-work effort.

"What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money," Obama said. 

Michigan has the fifth-highest percentage of unionized workers in the United States at 17.5 percent and the Detroit area is headquarters for General Motors , Ford Motor and Chrysler, which is majority owned by Fiat SpA.

What will the poor union leaders do now? But seriously, the concept of an union came into existance as a collective bargaining tool. Quite frankly, 100 people together should find it easier to put their demands across where an individual would not be even listened to. But unfortunately, as with everything else in society, this concept degenarated - first into a arm-twisting tool where the unions forced organisations into accepting extremely unfavorable terms leading to cost overrun and problems like in the US Auto Industry.

Then over the years, the unions have become tools for the unscrupulous politicians looking to power. As usual in all this the original ideal and the people have been lost in the noise.

Ref:to http://www.cnbc.com/id/100298457

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