On Monday, Michigan ‘s congressional delegation met with Gov. Rick Snyder and asked him to veto or at least delay the vote on the “right to work” law.
According to NBC News , Democrats as well as some organized labor groups have launched an all-out blitz they are hoping might halt legislation that would establish workers’ rights to employment in a workplace without having to join a union.
The Republican-held state legislature passed versions of the legislation last week, and are set to bring it up for final consideration as soon as Tuesday.
Snyder, a first-term Republican governor has said he would sign the bill if it came to his desk
Senator Carl Levin said:
“We strongly urged the governor to veto the so-called right to work bill, or at a minimum, ask the legislature to delay the vote on it. The governor listened, and he told us that he would ‘seriously,’ in his words, consider our concerns.”
Michigan has become the latest Midwestern epicenter over labor rights as a result of this fight, following Ohio and Wisconsin. The Republican governors of those states have led efforts to stop collective bargaining rights for public employees’ unions.
National Democrats have started to join the fight as well. They have issued statements warning against the Michigan proposal.
This fight could be elevated further this afternoon, when President Barack Obama visits the Detroit area.
Democrats are particularly incensed by a procedural move used by Republican authors of the bill which would prevent the law from being challenged by a statewide referendum.
The Democrats who met Monday with Snyder said that they had also urged the governor to change that provision, so that the right to work proposal could be brought to a popular vote.