After languishing in the statehouse minority for decades, Democrats are moving to recapture Michigan’s reputation as a union stronghold
Labor groups helped Democrats retake the Michigan Legislature earlier this month — and now they want the party to pay its dues.
Detroit, birthplace of the United Auto Workers in the 1930s, used to be the heart of the labor movement in the industrial Midwest. But union power faded over time, and Michigan labor activists were dealt a punishing blow in 2012 when the Republican-controlled Legislature passed laws that allowed workers to opt-out of paying union fees, undercutting the financial strength of organizers.
Abortion rights on the ballot is what drove many Michiganders to vote, yet organizing efforts to get workers to the polls with the promise of passing a pro-labor legislative agenda also boosted Democrats. Liz Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations , during an event attended by President Biden at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. | Susan Walsh/AP PhotoNot only are conservatives already pushing back hard against labor’s priorities, but there’s also an undercurrent of concern among labor advocates that Democrats themselves could be paralyzed by party infighting over their newfound power.
AFL-CIO, the U.S.’ largest federation of unions, is driven to release “best practices” when it comes to shaping pro-union legislation over the next few months, Shuler said. She wants measures that protect Social Security and also cited a recently enacted Oregon law that banned so-called captive audience meetings — situations where“We made the most unprecedented investment to engage working people and infrequent voters of color that our union has ever made.
The Local 160 United Auto Workers headquarters in Sterling Heights, Michigan, US, on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022. | Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images
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