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‘Next Level’ Labor Priorities Introduced in House

Advocacy News – March 16, 2023

A new type of pro-union, anti-business bills were introduced in the Michigan House last week, following the vote to repeal the state’s Right to Work law and reinstate prevailing wage requirements. 

One of the bill sponsors, Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph), was quoted by MIRS News (3/9/23 edition) as saying, “The first step we wanted to do after repealing Right to Work and restoring prevailing wage was to look at the other under-the-radar things…” Andrews said. “We’re really looking to return things back to the status quo.” 

Yet, many of the bills introduced have never been on the books, including legislation asking taxpayers to subsidize union dues by allowing union members to receive a refundable tax credit and removing the cap on political donations made by unions — but not by anyone else, including business groups. 

The eight-bill package introduced in the House focuses on private and public sector employers and employees. Here’s a run-down of what’s being proposed:  

  • Local Labor Laws – Allow local governments to impose wage and benefit mandates on local businesses, thereby eliminating Michigan’s “local preemption” law (HB 4237). If this proposal is passed, you could see a patchwork of local minimum wage, paid sick leave, predictive scheduling and other employment law mandates approved by more progressive city councils and county commissions.   
  • Refundable Tax Credit for Union Dues – Allow union members to write off their union dues, dollar-for-dollar, on their state income tax and to receive a refund for the portion of the credit that exceeds his or her tax liability (HB 4235). This change would require all Michigan taxpayers to subsidize union dues.   
  • Restore Project Labor Agreements – Repeal the 2011 “Fair and Open Competition in Government Construction Act” to allow local units of government to create preferences for union work and collective bargaining project, thereby returning to the days of “Project Labor Agreements, or PLAs” (HB 4231; also introduced in the Senate as SB 170). PLAs require public construction projects to be awarded exclusively to unionized firms. 
  • Regulate Replacement Workers – Prohibit businesses from giving permanent employment preferences to a replacement worker who fills in during a strike (HB 4232). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Political Action Committees (PAC) – Allow private businesses to automatically deduct contributions to a union PAC, which will put pressure on employers to do so (HB 4234). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Dues (Public Sector) – Allow public employers to automatically deduct union dues from a member’s paycheck (HB 4230). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Dues (Schools) – Allow public schools to use school resources to help local unions collect dues (HB 4233). 
  • Opt-Out of Employer Meetings and Communications – Allow a public employee to skip a staff meeting or ignore an email chain without repercussions if the subject deals with religion, politics or issues dealing with a labor union (HB 4236). 

Another pro-union bill was introduced in the Senate on Thursday seemingly aimed at allowing unions to make independent expenditures and PAC contributions outside the limits permitted under the state’s Campaign Financed Act. The bill (SB 172) would also authorize automatic payroll deductions for contributions to union PACs. 

This new legislation comes on top of labor priorities that have already been introduced in the House and Senate, including: 

  • Scheduling Restrictions – A “predictive scheduling” mandate on certain employers, including retail, hospitality and/or food services and requiring employers to provide new employees with a written good faith estimate of the employee’s work schedule at the time of hire and to give 14 days advance notice of work schedules, including “all work shifts and on-call shifts for the work period” (HB 4035). 
  • Restrictions on Hiring Temporary Employees – Legislation prohibiting organizations from working with temporary labor service organizations to hire temporary workers in the instance of a strike by specifying a “temporary labor service agency shall not provide a temporary laborer to a job site where a strike, lockout or other labor dispute exists” (HB 4034). 
  • Unemployment Benefit Increase – Legislation to increase the cost of the 100% employer-financed unemployment system by increasing the number of weeks employees can collect state benefits from 20 to 26 (SB 40). 

Your MI Chamber will continue to be a strong advocate for members on these anti-business, pro-labor proposals, many of which will impact our state’s economy and overall economic competitiveness. We are continuing to assess what’s serious and what’s not but believe we cannot afford to assume any of these proposals won’t move, be posted for a committee hearing or discharged to the House or Senate floor for consideration at any time. 

As Wendy Block, SVP for the MI Chamber, was quoted in MIRS: “We’d prefer to see things introduced where business and labor can come together, but it looks like some want to go in a different direction, disagree and even fight.” 

Want to read more? Check out the Detroit News’ Editorial: In Lansing, look for the union label. For questions, contact Wendy Block at wblock@michamber.com. 

Advocacy News – March 16, 2023

A new type of pro-union, anti-business bills were introduced in the Michigan House last week, following the vote to repeal the state’s Right to Work law and reinstate prevailing wage requirements. 

One of the bill sponsors, Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph), was quoted by MIRS News (3/9/23 edition) as saying, “The first step we wanted to do after repealing Right to Work and restoring prevailing wage was to look at the other under-the-radar things…” Andrews said. “We’re really looking to return things back to the status quo.” 

Yet, many of the bills introduced have never been on the books, including legislation asking taxpayers to subsidize union dues by allowing union members to receive a refundable tax credit and removing the cap on political donations made by unions — but not by anyone else, including business groups. 

The eight-bill package introduced in the House focuses on private and public sector employers and employees. Here’s a run-down of what’s being proposed:  

  • Local Labor Laws – Allow local governments to impose wage and benefit mandates on local businesses, thereby eliminating Michigan’s “local preemption” law (HB 4237). If this proposal is passed, you could see a patchwork of local minimum wage, paid sick leave, predictive scheduling and other employment law mandates approved by more progressive city councils and county commissions.   
  • Refundable Tax Credit for Union Dues – Allow union members to write off their union dues, dollar-for-dollar, on their state income tax and to receive a refund for the portion of the credit that exceeds his or her tax liability (HB 4235). This change would require all Michigan taxpayers to subsidize union dues.   
  • Restore Project Labor Agreements – Repeal the 2011 “Fair and Open Competition in Government Construction Act” to allow local units of government to create preferences for union work and collective bargaining project, thereby returning to the days of “Project Labor Agreements, or PLAs” (HB 4231; also introduced in the Senate as SB 170). PLAs require public construction projects to be awarded exclusively to unionized firms. 
  • Regulate Replacement Workers – Prohibit businesses from giving permanent employment preferences to a replacement worker who fills in during a strike (HB 4232). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Political Action Committees (PAC) – Allow private businesses to automatically deduct contributions to a union PAC, which will put pressure on employers to do so (HB 4234). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Dues (Public Sector) – Allow public employers to automatically deduct union dues from a member’s paycheck (HB 4230). 
  • Payroll Deductions for Union Dues (Schools) – Allow public schools to use school resources to help local unions collect dues (HB 4233). 
  • Opt-Out of Employer Meetings and Communications – Allow a public employee to skip a staff meeting or ignore an email chain without repercussions if the subject deals with religion, politics or issues dealing with a labor union (HB 4236). 

Another pro-union bill was introduced in the Senate on Thursday seemingly aimed at allowing unions to make independent expenditures and PAC contributions outside the limits permitted under the state’s Campaign Financed Act. The bill (SB 172) would also authorize automatic payroll deductions for contributions to union PACs. 

This new legislation comes on top of labor priorities that have already been introduced in the House and Senate, including: 

  • Scheduling Restrictions – A “predictive scheduling” mandate on certain employers, including retail, hospitality and/or food services and requiring employers to provide new employees with a written good faith estimate of the employee’s work schedule at the time of hire and to give 14 days advance notice of work schedules, including “all work shifts and on-call shifts for the work period” (HB 4035). 
  • Restrictions on Hiring Temporary Employees – Legislation prohibiting organizations from working with temporary labor service organizations to hire temporary workers in the instance of a strike by specifying a “temporary labor service agency shall not provide a temporary laborer to a job site where a strike, lockout or other labor dispute exists” (HB 4034). 
  • Unemployment Benefit Increase – Legislation to increase the cost of the 100% employer-financed unemployment system by increasing the number of weeks employees can collect state benefits from 20 to 26 (SB 40). 

Your MI Chamber will continue to be a strong advocate for members on these anti-business, pro-labor proposals, many of which will impact our state’s economy and overall economic competitiveness. We are continuing to assess what’s serious and what’s not but believe we cannot afford to assume any of these proposals won’t move, be posted for a committee hearing or discharged to the House or Senate floor for consideration at any time. 

As Wendy Block, SVP for the MI Chamber, was quoted in MIRS: “We’d prefer to see things introduced where business and labor can come together, but it looks like some want to go in a different direction, disagree and even fight.” 

Want to read more? Check out the Detroit News’ Editorial: In Lansing, look for the union label. For questions, contact Wendy Block at wblock@michamber.com.