In November, Michigan voters will decide whether to approve or reject a union proposal that will give government unions the power to overrule state laws at the bargaining table.
In effect, any term won at the government bargaining table would take the full force of the state constitution. This is especially problematic when there are over 1600 different government union contracts at the school district level alone.
Among other things, unions could reinstate last-in first-out layoffs, declaw the freedom of information act, prevent recently passed pension reform, and stop merit pay, according to a new Mackinac Center study.
There are already provisions that are incredibly generous to workers. For instance, teachers in Bay City can show up to work drunk 5 times before they can be fired.
Michigan policymakers have enacted a series of reforms to put limits on what government unions can do in their union contracts. This can and will likely be reversed in Proposal 2 passes. I've estimated that this means that enacting these reforms will cost taxpayers at least $1.6 billion in annual savings lost as contracts rescind these laws.
For more on this proposal see www.miballot2012.com.
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