A decade ago, Michigan Republicans passed the misnamed Right to Work laws, despite protests from workers from the state and the entire Great Lakes region. Even President Obama came to Michigan to blast the law in the way only he could.
But now, Michigan has taken the first steps to regaining prosperity when the Democratic-controlled House voted to repeal that godforsaken law:
“This bill is not about making history. It is about restoring the rights of workers from whose work we’ve all benefited,” Rep. Jim Haadsma, a Battle Creek Democrat, said on the House floor prior to the vote.
[...]
“We don't want the government telling two private parties what they can agree to in negotiations,” said Jonathan Byrd, president of the South Central Michigan AFL-CIO. “That is what right-to-work does.”
Whitmer commended the committee for putting “Michigan workers first,” saying in a statement that “working people should always have basic freedoms in the workplace without interference from the government.”
The Republicans, of course, were mewling that the repeal was being "rushed through" and not respecting the will of the people. These complaints should be met with scorn since it is mere projection of when they passed this hateful law ten years ago.
And may this movement spread throughout the region, including Ohio and Wisconsin.
And a personal note to the good people of Michigan: Solidarity!
