Michigan Legislative Candidates Face Scrutiny Over Labor Rights Positions
As the Michigan Legislature candidates gear up for elections, their positions on labor rights have sparked debate, potentially affecting their relationships with unions and workers. The Democrats currently hold a slim majority in the Michigan House of Representatives, where all seats are up for election this year.
In a landmark move, Michigan repealed its right-to-work law in March 2023, becoming the first state in nearly six decades to do so. Right-to-work laws allow workers to opt out of joining unions or paying dues as employment conditions, which labor activists argue undermine union strength and the ability to negotiate favorable worker contracts.
Despite this, every Republican in the Michigan House opposed the repeal. Among them was Rep. Jim Desana of District 29, who had previously expressed his union membership pride. In a Labor Day Facebook post, Desana stated, “Having been a proud member of the Teamsters local 1038 and the Laborers local 1191 back in my early working years, I value what these organizations have done for the working Men and Women of Downriver and Monroe County.”
Other Republicans opposing the repeal included Rep. Jamie Thompson of District 28, Rep. Mark Tisdel of District 45, and Rep. Donni Steele of District 54, all located in southeastern Michigan. Rylee Linting, a candidate for District 27, has also expressed support for right-to-work laws, stating on Facebook in February 2023, “Let’s make sure we protect Right to Work and promote our Trade Schools and Community Colleges across the state.”
Thompson, Tisdel, and Steele also stood against Senate Bill 6, which ensured union wages for public project construction workers, and opposed House Bill 4354, aimed at expanding bargaining rights for teachers unions. The Michigan Education Association, representing around 120,000 teachers, is the largest union in the state.
In 2018, Michigan labor activists successfully pushed for the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) to be considered as a ballot referendum. This law mandated employers provide one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with a cap of 72 hours for larger company employees. However, the Republican-controlled legislature preemptively enacted the law, avoiding a public vote, and subsequently diluted its provisions using the “adopt and amend” strategy, reducing the sick leave guarantee to 40 hours.
The Michigan Supreme Court, in July, declared that the “adopt and amend” approach was unconstitutional, mandating the original ESTA be implemented. Steele criticized the court’s ruling, suggesting without evidence that it might result in increased restaurant prices, saying, “This ruling will wreak havoc on our businesses and their employees. We must not treat California like a roadmap for Michigan.”
The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), known for opposing paid sick leave expansions, has contributed $500 to Steele’s 2024 campaign, as well as to Desana and Tisdel, reflecting the ongoing political and financial dynamics surrounding labor rights in Michigan.
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