Michigan Repeals Right-To-Work

In a highly anticipated move, on March 24, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a repeal of the state's 2012 so called "Right to Work" legislation. The repeal had long been a stated goal of Democrats in the state legislature. Following the conversion of both houses of the state legislature to Democratic control after the 2022 election, the legislative majorities and Governor made good on the promise.

In 2012, a Republican legislature passed Michigan's Right to Work law, which prohibited collective bargaining agreement clauses that require employees to become union members and pay union dues. (typically called Union Security clauses). The law permitted Michigan employees in unionized workplaces to refrain from joining the union and/or paying union dues if they chose. Because federal law (namely the National Labor Relations Act) requires unions to continue to represent all employees in a bargaining unit, the effect of the law was that employees could enjoy