You're watching...
Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst James Sherk and Merlin’s Law Group founder Chip Merlin on Michigan’s new right-to-work laws.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
It's a big labor is reeling today as to -- -- -- quickly deemed itself in right to work state allowing workers to opt out of paying union dues.
The fight is far from over though with legal challenges in recall efforts already in the air.
So what's next for the state and does this mark the beginning of the end for unions altogether.
Let's ask James -- senior policy analyst in believer economics for The Heritage Foundation.
And Tim Harlan found to have Merlin glob group to -- go to you first -- -- -- want to know what the legal ramifications are here couldn't -- -- the unions come back and try to appeal.
-- well they certainly can try to appeal whether or not they're gonna win or not that's anybody's guess this.
Equal protection argument that is that why did they.
Carve out the police officers why they -- -- fire department yet everybody else is subject to this particular laws of big question is that obviously not equal protection of the law.
And this state -- -- is gonna say well firefighters and police they're important for our public safety and that's the rational basis the question is.
Why is it withholding dues union -- somehow related to safety.
And has a lot of attorneys questioning the validity this particular law.
So that part of that you're seeing could actually make its way to courtroom it absolutely could.
You know we've seen in Ohio and Wisconsin you and -- just talking about -- they undid the limited.
What part of the love clip for collective bargaining.
So we could very well see this thing kind of thrown out.
And in Wisconsin -- matter fact the law was done output was a completely different law that we have here in Michigan.
The mission laws can be -- first impression for the courts we do expect that -- be legal challenges to it.
Whether think it upheld or not is anybody's guess right now.
-- -- even with all of these new potential legal issues.
This is a -- -- Michigan right -- basically opens the doors you can start holding cocktail parties for companies and say come come come come work in our state.
-- exactly at Indiana Pastor -- to work -- on February.
And the forty CNN a massive boom they've had a 31 companies announced that they arrived a little locate or expand in Indiana because of the right to work -- And the goods not a surprise and and -- the -- not auto makers when they started building plants in the US.
Not a coincidence that almost all of those were built in right to work states.
Tennessee South Carolina.
Alabama and then Michigan then decided they were going to be competitive they won't be -- aware that kind of advantage by not have a right to work -- It needs to be made clear -- that the new laws do not affect affect the existing labor agreements that that included the UAW's which doesn't extracted 2015 so.
I could argue James that you know what it from a company.
I really know much weight is getting -- -- said this could very well be thrown out maybe maybe I'm too nervous come.
Michigan.
You know -- a possibility.
Of Michigan voters -- just asked to vote on this issue.
The unions were there were -- -- right to work -- getting past so that put up a ballot initiative that we -- would have amended the state constitution to say that the legislature could never passed a law like that just dead.
And the voters voted it down by fifteen point margin.
So I may and it's pretty clear again -- the supreme court's -- repeatedly on the constitutionality of right to work laws and it has upheld and every single time there's going to be a lot of screaming.
Yeah I did at the end of the day workers are gonna have the right to choose whether or not they want to block reunion -- -- to -- stuff but.
-- let's talk unions big picture I mean we've seen them you know bring down the auto industry the airline -- they -- -- baseball at one point right so.
Is this -- could this be the beginning of the end.
Well Michigan's the 24 state to pass right -- Work laws and so it's certainly a long long train wreck for the unions right now.
And this is just -- when you think about -- -- in the pillar right of the unions and this particular state.
Not passing a constitutional amendment that would have been.
Great for the engine and then losing this particular initiative in the legislature the news is certainly not good for union workers right now.
You know and James tech industries.
You see you know you don't see Bill Gates or Steve Jobs while he was so live looking for union workers rights of the world is changing a little bit.
Is it still all necessary.
Well that's the probably unions have.
They haven't changed fundamentally how they -- present workers since 1930s.
But the economy is changed dramatically and you look at contracts that union contracts it's -- seniority based promotions and pay increases -- your knowledge worker.
You won a contract that guarantees the company can't recognize the unique -- you -- the table are you want performance reviews you want performance based pay and the units made that impossible.
The one -- -- can't organize your workplace cashier and hopefully workers get that.
James -- thank you both for your insights thank you.
