A bill to remove provisions of the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA) pertaining to public employees received final passage this week. Commonly known as the “right to work” legislation, the current law provides that an employee cannot be legally compelled to pay dues to a union in order to be covered under their workplace’s collective bargaining agreement, cannot be required to leave, enter or stay in a union, or to obtain or continue employment. House Bill 4004, sponsored by Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park), removes these provisions and includes a new provision providing that Michigan law does not prevent a public employer from entering into an agreement with a designated union representative that requires all other employees represented by the union to pay a service fee equivalent to the amount that union members may be required to pay in dues as a condition of employment. Once signed by the governor, the new law will take effect 91 days after the Legislature adjourns for the year.
Learn about this and other legislative updates in MTA’s weekly enewsletter, Township Insights.