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Legislative Priorities-Human Resources
ISSUE:
Fair and Affordable Employment Laws
CHAMBER MEMBERS ADVOCATE:
- Opposing efforts to expand unemployment benefits beyond their original intent
of providing a bridge for employees who lose their job due to no fault of their
own and are actively seeking re-employment.
- Ensuring the financial stability and solvency of the state’s unemployment
compensation trust fund while opposing efforts to increase the current level
of unemployment insurance benefits (UI) unless offset by significant cost savings
reforms, such as establishing a one-week waiting period; strengthening re-qualification
requirements for claimants who voluntarily quit or are discharged for misconduct;
strengthening seeking work requirements; and/or lowering the minimum UI tax
rate for employers who have had no benefits charged to their account for five
years or more.
- Retaining the current minimum wage law, and opposing any efforts to automatically
link future minimum wage increases to the rate of inflation or increase the
wage for tipped employees.
- Opposing any increase in workers’ compensation benefits, and creating common
sense standards for adjudicating questionable claims, such as stress and psychological
claims.
- Opposing any efforts to shift the cost of operating the Bureau of Workers’
Disability Compensation to employers by establishing a new tax, fee or surcharge
on workers’ compensation.
- Opposing wage controls, including local minimum, living and prevailing wage
ordinances.
- Supporting efforts to educate employees working under union contracts of
their Beck rights to receive a refund of union dues moneys spent on political,
social or charitable causes to which they may object.
- Supporting federal efforts to strengthen the right to a secret ballot election
in the choice of representation and decrease the use of coercive and intimidating
tactics in union organizing.
- Opposing mandatory ergonomics standards while supporting voluntary and cooperative
efforts between labor and management to promote safety in the workplace.
- Opposing any state efforts to reverse the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2004
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations, such as a higher state
standard for overtime pay.
- Supporting administrative reform of the federal Family Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) and opposing state and federal efforts to expand its provisions.
- Opposing legislative efforts that interfere with an employer’s ability to
make management and staffing decisions.
WHY?
In today's volatile economy, fair and affordable employment laws, including unemployment
and workers’ compensation programs, are more important than ever. In 2005, Michigan
employers paid out more than $1.827 billion in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits
and over $1.45 billion in workers’ compensation benefits. One hundred percent of
these benefits are financed by employers; therefore, the Michigan Chamber believes
any reforms to the UI or workers’ compensation systems should balance the needs
of the employees and employers. Further, the Michigan Chamber believes employees
should have the right to choose freely and anonymously whether to unionize and should
be further educated of their right to object to their union using their dues money
for purposes not directly related to collective bargaining. Finally, the Michigan
Chamber believes employers should have the flexibility to manage their workforce
and employees’ needs—with limited governmental involvement or regulation.
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