Labor Unions Win Big as Michigan Governor Repeals 'Right-to-Work' Law

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Democratic legislation repealing the state's right-to-work law on Friday, which makes Michigan the first state in decades to repeal the union-restriction law.

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The news is seen as an important win for labour unions.

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Whitmer also signed legislation that restores a wage law that was repealed by the state's Republican lawmakers in 2018.

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Right-to-work laws prohibit union security agreements that require all employees to pay their share of costs for benefiting from the union contract.

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As per the Economic Policy Institute, right-to-work laws tend to undermine unions' bargaining strength and make it difficult for workers' organizations to sustain themselves financially.

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Michigan's new move makes it the 26th state to have such a law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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Union membership has been gradually declining for decades now and reached an all-time low in 2022.

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Roughly 10% of U.S. wage and salary workers were members of unions in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labour Statistics.

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