Several Clinton Twp. Union Contracts Set to Expire on Right-to-Work Effective Date

The effects of Michigan’s new right-to-work law may be felt as early as April 2013 for many of Clinton Township’s public sector unions.

The new law, which prohibits public and private sector unions from requiring membership or dues from the workers they represent, is due to take effect March 31, 2013. However, the legislation exempts police and fire unions.

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While the new law won’t affect existing union contracts, once contracts expire, employees won't be required to pay union dues, although they will still be covered by union-negotiated contracts along with those of their colleagues who elect to pay dues.

At the municipal level, the contracts of 11 Clinton Township unions are due to expire on March 31, 2013, according to township records (see chart below). Although four of these are police and fire, and thus exempt, the seven remaining are due to fall under the new law, provided they do not renew their contracts prior to the law’s effective date.

The unions serving Clinton Township's public schools have a slightly longer wait for the effects of right-to-work.

In Utica Community Schools, teacher and paraprofessional unions are currently negotiating their contracts, which are due to expire June 30, 2012. If these contracts are renewed before March 31, 2013, right-to-work will not become an immediate reality.

Other unions serving UCS, such as food service, secretaries, skilled trades and transportation drivers, have contracts good through June 30, 2015.

L'Anse Creuse Public Schools' clerical union is also negotiating its contract while its paraprofessionals' union contract expires June 30, 2013. The district's teachers, administrators and support staff have contracts expiring in the summer of 2014.

However, unions in Chippewa Valley Schools are on a tighter schedule, with the teachers’ union contract as well as the contracts belonging to paraprofessionals, clerical employees and support groups slated to end in the summer of 2013.

Right-to-work fight could continue on ballot in 2014

Although the legislature's addition of a $1 million appropriation to the right-to-work bill makes it impossible to repeal by referendum, as the Michigan Constitution does not extend the power of referendum to "acts making appropriations for state institutions or to meet deficiencies in state funds," it could be repealed in the next general election though a state ballot initiative.

Since voters cast a total of 3,226,088 votes in the last Michigan gubernatorial election, opponents of right-to-work would need to collect around 260,000 signatures to place a repeal initiative on the 2014 ballot.