Advocacy News – Oct. 7, 2026
What’s happening: Labor leaders and Democratic lawmakers stood shoulder to shoulder at a press conference last week, pushing to give local governments the authority to impose their own employment mandates on private employers.
Why it matters: Their top labor priority, should Democrats regain a governing trifecta, is repealing Public Act 105, which prevents Michigan’s nearly 1,800 local governments from creating a patchwork of employer regulations covering wages, paid leave, fringe benefits, hiring practices, strikes, and other workplace policies.
- They are also seeking repeal of Public Act 98, which limits local governments’ ability to require Project Labor Agreements on publicly funded construction projects.
Employment regulations should remain under state and federal jurisdiction, not be dictated by counties, cities, townships and villages. Allowing local governments to impose their own labor mandates would create a patchwork of rules, forcing employers to navigate different requirements from one community to the next. The result is higher compliance costs, increased legal risk and greater administrative burdens, particularly for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions. It also risks creating isolated “high-cost islands” where the cost and complexity of doing business are substantially greater than in neighboring communities, discouraging investment, job creation and economic growth.
The bottom line: At a time when most states have moved toward uniform statewide labor standards, Michigan should avoid policies that undermine its competitiveness and create barriers to business expansion.
For questions or more information contact wblock@michamber.com.