President of the Michigan AFL-CIO, Ron Bieber, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss repealing Michigan’s So-Called “Right-to-Work” legislation. The Michigan AFL-CIO is home to over 1 million current and retired union members.
Bieber discussed the history of the So-Called “Right-to-Work” law in Michigan. Passed in 2013 by the then Republican-controlled government, the So-Called “Right-to-Work” legislation was pushed through despite assurances that it wouldn’t be on the agenda. Along with removing Prevailing Wage, the So-Called “Right-to-Work” bill was something Bieber believes stunted Michigan’s workforce for nearly a decade.
Bieber shared the moment he knew the battle over the So-Called “Right-to-Work” turned in their favor. In 2018, the people of Michigan voted to use a 13-member independent redistricting commission by a vote of 61.27 percent yes and 38.73 percent no. This redistricting commission drew new boundary lines for the state of Michigan. Bieber believes that it was because of these re-drawn districts that Michigan became a Democratically-controlled government in 2022.
Despite the repeal of the So-Called “Right-to-Work” legislation, the bill will not go into effect until 2024. Due to this delay, Bieber warns of a continuing fight for years to come. He also believes that there are other fights to be won for workers' rights.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.