Marathon Pundit: Unions using trickery to thwart Michigan's right-to-work law

Big Labor is using trickery, intimidation, and sleight of hand to circumvent Michigan's new right-to-work law.

In a letter to the editor of the Detroit News, UAW member and founder of Union Conservatives Terry Bowman suggests solutions.

It's time for three additional actions in Lansing to protect workers in the public sector.

The default position for workers should not be unionization. Instead of narrow windows and worrisome 'opt-out' policies, new legislation is needed to employ 'opt-in' policies. Let’s watch how quickly union officials change that current narrow window into a year-long, open-air veranda. An 'opt-in' policy would be more protective of individual worker freedoms than intimidating 'opt-out' policies, and aide in reducing charges of union bullying.

A recent opinion from The Detroit News recommends legislation to get rid of 'exclusive representation' clauses in union contracts. This would remove the 'free-rider' issue that union officials claim, even though we all now know that those workers are forced to accept the union contract. Allowing non-union workers to represent themselves instead of forcing the collective bargaining agreement on them would be fair and equitable for both worker and union.

Because of fear and intimidation, it is almost impossible to decertify a union once it is entrenched in a place of business. New legislation is needed to guarantee a regular, two-year recertification process so that union officials are forced to make their case why they deserve to represent workers. Other unions should be given the opportunity to pitch their services as well. This would remove the monopoly that unions have in the workplace, and inject free-market competition which would benefit all individual workers.