Activists United Against Union 'Power Grab' Proposal

Opponents of a union-backed proposal to permanently lock right-to-work out of Michigan spoke out Thursday on the steps of the State Capitol.

A right-to-work law would prohibit workers from being forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Multiple years of polling shows that a majority of Michigan voters support right-to-work in Michigan.

A coalition of unions have started a petition drive to constitutionally prohibit right-to-work in Michigan. If passed, this proposal would also restore bargaining advantages and perks that Gov. Rick Snyder and the legislature scaled back in 2011.

Union Conservatives, a group representing union members who support making Michigan a right-to-work state and generally oppose the leftist political agenda that union bosses support and promote, organized the Capitol steps news conference.

“Unions will have no accountability to workers if this ballot proposal goes through,” said Terry Bowman, founder of Union Conservatives. “They want to force union allegiance and not have to work for it.”

U.S. Senate candidate Gary Glenn pointed out that being forced to pay union dues means being forced to support causes you might strongly oppose.

“We support the freedom to work,” Glenn said. “That means freedom to hold a job without having to contribute money that will be used to campaign or to lobby for things you don't believe in.”

Unions that are opposed to giving workers the right to choose whether they want to belong to a union have been advertising their ballot proposal as a measure to protect collective bargaining. However, no legislation has been proposed in Michigan that would take away the ability of workers to bargain collectively.

Several other people and groups opposed to the union proposal were represented on the Capitol steps. They included: Scott Hagerstrom of Americans For Prosperity; Jay McNally, radio talk show host of “The American Dream;” F. Vincent Vernuccio, of Workplace Choice; Brian Pannebecker of Michigan Freedom to Work; and Dave Bego, author of Devil at my Doorstep, a book about union intimidation.