Michigan becomes right to work state

[Charles]

One of the most heavily unionized labor forces in the United states is in the state of Michigan and boy did they get a kick in the huevos today as the governor of Michigan signed into law the right to work.

I don't know if this is good or bad in the long run. Time will tell. What it means for workers in Michigan that are employed at union shops such as auto manufacturing facilities is that they are no longer forced to pay union dues or compelled to join a union in order to keep their job.

Imagine if this was the case in animation. Think the Animation Guild would be the way they are? Think they'd be quite as passive about representing the concerns of their members? Neither do I.

One thing this legislation will certainly do, and that is force labor unions to get pro-active when it comes to their members and potential members. Instead of sitting back and collecting all that lazy crazy cash from workers who get jobs at union shops and are forced to pay up, now they have to deal with the free market like everyone else.

You are not a union hater if you are critical of a union. You are not a union hater if you expect them to do something for the money you pay them.

Maybe some of these guys will finally get the message.

.............


Snyder signs Michigan anti-union 'right to work' measures over protests of thousands

By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News
December 11, 2013

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law two bills Tuesday sharply limiting labor rights, which the House passed over the objections of thousands of people packing the Capitol in protest, some of whom chanted "Shame on you!" from the gallery.
Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook.

"This isn't about us versus them. This is about Michiganders," Snyder said at news conference in the state capital, Lansing, where he announced that he had signed the legislation.

By a 58-51 vote, the Republican-led House passed a bill that would ban workplace rules that make union membership a condition of employment for government workers. It then approved a second bill, covering private-sector workers, by a vote of 58-52.

When the new rules take effect, probably in late March, Michigan — one of the most union-friendly states in the country —will become the 24th "right to work" state, making payment of union dues voluntary even though the union negotiates on a worker's behalf.

Full article here.

[Charles]

A rhetorical question...

Do you think that right to work will eventually come to California and in particular the animation industry in Los Angeles?

Currently you don't have to join The Animation Guild even if you get a job at one of their signatory studios, but you still have to pay dues to them.

What if this changed? What if artists had the option of not only not joining but not paying as well?

Some friendly advice to a not so friendly Animation Guild. It could happen here too someday. So by all means, keep being a bunch of jerks if you want to be eating cat food out of a garbage can as their business rep likes to point out to artists who don't work in his system.

With legislation as monumentally important as this, maybe the Guild would be interested in developing friendly relations with ALL animation artists. Staring will members of their own union. Knowing them and from my experiences with these guys, I doubt if we'll see that. But who knows. Things can change. Especially when its membership gets off their cans and gets involved.

What went down yesterday is a huge national issue my friends. Here's video that's just come out about what's happening with Right To Work legislation in Michigan...