Thursday, January 10, 2013
City manager Vince Pastue says the law passed during the 'lame duck' legislative session won't have much impact, but another law that affects the city's liability could.
Only one of the City of Farmington's bargaining units is affected by Michigan's new "Right to Work" law, and city manager Vince Pastue doesn't anticipate the change to have an impact on upcoming contract negotiations. However, another new law that prohibits local governments from requiring contractors to defend or indemnify them from lawsuits could increase costs and liability, Pastue said during a council study session Monday. The Right to Work law prohibits requiring employees to pay union dues or join a union as a condition of employment. Pastue said that should not affect negotiations with Dept. of Public Works employees, which will begin this month. Public Safety and Command Officers unions are exempt from the new law. Pastue said …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Some Farmington Public Schools teachers were in the crowd in Lansing as bills were passed.
LANSING - People came from as close as down the street and as far as Chicago and Wisconsin, joining thousands of union members in a protest against right-to-work legislation Tuesday in Lansing. Despite the roar of the crowds lining the lawn of the Capitol building and surrounding streets, two pieces of legislation passed by the Senate last week made their way through the state House of Representatives and were signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday afternoon. 10,000 on the Capitol lawn Michigan State Police estimated that protesters at the Capitol, including some Farmington teachers, numbered around 10,000 on Tuesday. Most were union members and supporters, while a small contingent of tea party and Americans for Prosperity members—…
UAW members and other unions are expected to protest at the state Capitol in Lansing on Tuesday as the state Legislature considers proposed right-to-work legislation.
Patch will provide live updates from Lansing on Tuesday as the state Legislature considers right-to-work legislation. To view this live feed from your mobile device, click here. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced last week that he would put right-to-work on his agenda. Following Snyder's announcement, Republicans in the Legislature put bills forward in both houses, prompting protests in Lansing by union groups, including the UAW. More protests at the Capitol are expected Tuesday as the Legislature again takes up the proposed legislation. Check back Tuesday at 9 a.m. for the latest news and views from the Capitol, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Or, join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #righttowork. Read …
Monday, December 10, 2012
President says proposed right-to-work laws give people "the right to work for less money" during an appearance in Redford Township.
President Barack Obama took direct aim at proposed right-to-work legislation during an appearance Monday in Redford Township. Obama waded into Michigan’s brewing labor battle that erupted last week when Gov. Rick Snyder said right-to-work legislation was on his agenda and union groups protested at the state Capitol in Lansing. "We should do everything we can to keep creating good middle-class jobs that help folks rebuild security for their families," Obama said Monday in a speech at the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant, according to the Huffington Post. Obama added that with right-to-work laws, “what they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.” Following the press conference, Congressman Gary Peters (D-9th …
Legislation passed last week in the Michigan House and Senate could reach Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature by Tuesday. Leave a comment or upload a photo if you participate in related demonstrations.
Demonstrators took to the Capitol steps Monday in Lansing to sound off on right-to-work legislation that is poised to become law after Gov. Rick Snyder did an abrupt about-face on the issue last week and a series of related bills passed in the House and Senate. Larger protests are expected Tuesday when the legislation could reach Snyder's desk for his signature. Patch will be live-blogging from Lansing as the situation develops, and Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch blogger Dick Jaeger is planning to attend and write about the event. [Are you participating in the demonstrations? Leave a comment, upload a photo or e-mail Huntington Woods-Berkley Patch editor Leslie Ellis!] Read on for a description of each bill and to find out how …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Post your views on the proposed right-to-work legislation by adding it to the Local Voices section of Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch.
Do you have an opinion on the proposed right-to-work legislation? Then we would like you to let everyone know about it by sharing it on Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch. All you need to do is add your opinion—it could be as short as a sentence or as long as a term paper—to our Local Voices section. It’s quick and easy to do. Just click here to post your opinion. Whether you are for or against the right-to-work bills, we would love for you to share your voice with the Farmington-Farmington Hills community. Blogger Dick Jaeger has already made his contribution; you can read it here.
The Farmington-Farmington Hills lawmaker's floor speech before yesterday's vote is broadcast on YouTube.
Interrupted several times by applause, State Rep. Vicki Barnett (D-37th District) gave an impassioned plea yesterday for her colleagues to vote "no" on right-to-work legislation that eventually passed through the House and likely will become state law. In the speech, which was broadcast and shared on YouTube.com, Barnett said unions are not imposed on businesses and, under the National Labor Relations Act, no one is required to be a union member. She said workers go through a process that includes an election to form a union. "It's called democracy," she said. Barnett represents both Farmington and Farmington Hills. In making the announcement Thursday that he would support right-to-work legislation, Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, said…
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Take our poll and tell us what you think about Snyder's announcement Thursday morning that he would sign right-to-work legislation if it is passed by the Michigan Legislature.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced Thursday that he would pursue right-to-work legislation for public and private employees in the state, according to the Detroit Free Press. The law would include an exemption for firefighters and police officers, but it would apply to 17.5 percent of Michigan's workforce, according to the Detroit News. Congressman Gary Peters (D-9th Congressional), who represents Farmington and Farmington Hills, said Snyder is "ushering in an era of divisiveness across Michigan by launching an attack against working families." “By trying to jam this through a lame duck session, Governor Snyder is trying to prevent voters from seeing how he is dividing Michigan instead of working to ensure the future of our state during …
Michael Ritenour
12:36 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Let's see: Republicans re-elected a House Speaker who is an admitted liar and election-rigger (as well as a possible criminal); they locked the doors and packed the gallery with their operatives to prevent the public from witnessing their RTW power-grab; they tacked a phony spending provision onto the RTW bills to prevent a public vote; they're doing all of this during the waning days of a lame … more ›