As Moe noted earlier today (Thursday), the Michigan House passed a Right-to-Work law this afternoon. It was expected that the Michigan Senate would be taking up the legislation early next week.

However, a mere three and a half hours later, the Michigan Senate surprised everyone–especially unions–by following the lower chamber in passing Right-to-Work legislation as well:

The Michigan Senate passed their first bill by a 22-16 vote, with Democrats and a few Republicans voting against it. A separate bill approving right-to-work strictly for public-sector workers passed a few minutes afterward by a 22-4 vote. The chamber’s 12 Democrats walked off the floor in protest and were purposely absent for that vote. [Emphasis added.]

Contrary to the union spin machine, Michigan’s Right-To-Work law does nothing to impede collective bargaining. Rather, Right-to-Work prohibits unions from having workers fired from their jobs for refusing to pay union dues or agency fees.

Now, Michigan is but a signature away from becoming the nation’s 24th state to give workers the freedom to choose whether or not to pay a union as a condition of employment. Rick Snyder, Michigan’s governor stated earlier this week that he would support Right-to-Work legislation.

Predictably, as is typical when union money is threatened, unions went wild with anger at Michigan’s state house in Lansing.

Throughout the day, according to Michigan’s Capitol Confidential, union protestors intimidated, vandalized, as well as pushed and shoved, resulting in eight arrests. Police were required to use pepper spray as union protesters tried to rush the Senate chambers.

In the weeks and months ahead, as unions are likely to continue fighting against the Right-to-Work status that is now gracing Michigan’s workplaces, the chances for Michigan to once again prosper have suddenly been brightened, as illustrated by this chart:

Notwithstanding the fact that Right-to-Work states have generally prospered as compared to Forced Unionism states, President Obama’s spokesman weighed into the state issue on Thursday afternoon.

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich says Obama has long opposed right to work laws, “and he continues to oppose them now.”

By all appearances, however, Obama’s weighing into the brief battle that was Michigan’s Right-to-Work fight will likely be too little too late as Michigan Republicans seem to have borrowed from Obama’s own take-no-prisoners playbook and passed the bill quickly.

Congratulations, Michigan, your future is about to become brighter again.

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“Truth isn’t mean. It’s truth.”
Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012)

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