How does Michigan resolve the right-to-work debate?
"Right to work" has been the issue that dared not speak its name in Michigan.
Until now.
Ending compulsory unionism has been whispered about for years. But it was rarely discussed in public forums until this year's gubernatorial election campaign.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, seeking the Republican Party nomination, ran advertisements suggesting a right-to-work law would create jobs, keep our young people at home and stop businesses from exiting the state.
But his bold play for making Michigan the nation's 23rd right-to-work state failed to excite even conservatives, who would love to see labor unions abolished.
Bouchard finished a weak fourth in the five-man primary race for governor.
The likelihood that Michigan will become a right-to-work state anytime soon is even more remote than the possibility of the University of Michigan winning the Big Ten championship in football this year.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero owes his primary victory largely to labor unions, which bankrolled his campaign.
Bernero will back right-to-work legislation when Glenn Beck says Barack Obama is the greatest president in history.
Republican candidate Rick Snyder, who has a wide lead in the polls over Bernero, "doesn't support opening up the right-to-work can," spokesman Bill Nowling told me.
"He thinks it would be just too divisive at a time when we need to bring labor and management together to try to work on these issues," Nowling said.
Nor does Snyder favor any legislative effort to make Michigan a right-to-work state, he said.
So there.
Supporters of making Michigan a right-to-work state say it would help to counter the perception of the state as being ruled by inflexible union bosses ready to do battle with employers at the drop of a grievance filing.
Local economic developers say that manufacturing companies, in particular, are reluctant to invest in the state because of its strong union heritage.
"The perception out there is that the entire state is unionized," said Tino Breithaupt, senior vice president of economic development at the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Perception lags reality, though. Just 18.8 percent of Michigan workers belong to labor unions, a historic low figure.
A right-to-work law also doesn't mean labor unions will disappear. In Alabama, a right-to-work state with a growing auto industry, 10.9 percent of workers belong to a union.
And many right-to-work states in the South that gained manufacturing jobs during the past couple of decades are struggling with high unemployment.
"You have a right to work nowhere," said Richard Block, a veteran professor of labor and industrial relations at Michigan State University. "An employer can fire you at will any time he wants" without a labor contract.
So how does Michigan resolve the right-to-work debate?
I hate to get all mushy on you, but we could be on the cusp of a new labor-management strategy to create jobs and improve Michigan's economic competitiveness.
In a recent speech at a Traverse City auto conference, new United Auto Workers President Bob King, who's backing Bernero, vowed to work cooperatively with automakers to ensure their success.
"The 21st-century UAW recognizes that flexibility, innovation, lean manufacturing and continuous cost improvement are paramount in the global marketplace," King said.
Nowling said Snyder has been meeting with labor leaders to discuss how the state can overcome the negative perception of unionization.
Do I hear a chorus of "Kumbaya"?
E-mail Rick Haglund at haglund.rick@gmail.com
Comments
David Denholm
Thu, Sep 2, 2010 : 4:28 p.m.
It's hard to disagree with the idea that Michigan isn't ready to become a Right to Work state. It might help the discussion, however, to make an important distinction between the public and private sectors when it comes to unions. Nationally, only 12% of the workforce is union. That consists of 7.2% of workers on private payrolls and 37.4% of government employees. More than half of all union members in America are government employees. In Michigan the total is 18.8%, but that's 12.2% and going downward on private payrolls and 57.1% and going upward in the public sector. Unionism is becoming an increasingly government employment phenomenon. The day is coming when the typical rank and file worker in the private sector, whether a union member or not, is going to realize that their taxes are too high, their kids aren't getting a decent education and public servants are acting more like public masters because of the power of public sector unions. That's when Michigan will be ready to become a Right to Work state.
Veracity
Thu, Sep 2, 2010 : 8:24 a.m.
Rick Haglund confuses me. First, Mr. Haglund states that Michigan has "compulsory" unionism and then reports that only 18.8% of Michigan workers belong to a union. This figure is similar to Rick Haglund's example of Alabama's 10.9% union workers as a "right-to-work" state. Michigan appears already to be a "right-to-work" state. Then, Rick Haglund proffers the belief that manufacturers will not invest in the state because or its strong union heritage. However, Rick Haglund admits that "we could be on the cusp of a new labor-management strategy to create jobs and improve Michigan's economic competitiveness." He expands on this statement by reporting the following pronouncement by the new United Auto Workers President Bob King: "The 21st-century UAW recognizes that flexibility, innovation, lean manufacturing and continuous cost improvement are paramount in the global marketplace," King said. By the way, Rick Haglund should substantiate his opinion that Virg Bernero owes his primary victory largely to labor unions. Any support that the unions extend to Virg Bernero is based on the belief that Virg Bernero will be more successful than Rick Snyder at attracting jobs in general to Michigan, some of which will hopefully be for unemployed union members.
Nancy Jowske
Thu, Sep 2, 2010 : 7:54 a.m.
The author failed the mention the most compelling reason for supporting RtW legislation -- giving union members the right to withhold their dues from corrupt or do-nothing union leaders. Anyone who's ever watched that sausage being made knows union elections are about as "democratic" as elections in the former Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of Michigan workers are stuck paying dues to a union they never asked for or voted in that does nothing for them. There are many union locals in Michigan where a member can't even get a phone call returned, can't get a copy of their contract and has never even seen a union rep, but still can't stop paying those dues. Reformers are intimidated and members who ask too many questions are shut down. And to get out from under financially supporting bad leadership workers would have to endure a decertification process. Right to Work forces unions to EARN THE DUES and would be a huge step towards true union democracy and returning control of unions to the members. And only because RtW would shake up the current power structure and force some serious belt tightening on the bloated union budgets of course union leaders and staff are fighting it like dogs.
Nancy Jowske
Thu, Sep 2, 2010 : 7:53 a.m.
The author failed the mention the most compelling reason for supporting RtW legislation -- giving union members the right to withhold their dues from corrupt or do-nothing union leaders. Anyone who's ever watched that sausage being made knows union elections are about as "democratic" as elections in the former Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of Michigan workers are stuck paying dues to a union they never asked for or voted in that does nothing for them. There are many union locals in Michigan where a member can't even get a phone call returned, can't get a copy of their contract and has never even seen a union rep, but still can't stop paying those dues. Reformers are intimidated and members who ask too many questions are shut down. And to get out from under financially supporting bad leadership workers would have to endure a decertification process. Right to Work forces unions to EARN THE DUES and would be a huge step towards true union democracy and returning control of unions to the members. And only because RtW would shake up the current power structure and force some serious belt tightening on the bloated union budgets of course union leaders and staff are fighting it like dogs.