What happens when the threat of permanence is no more?
It occurred to me recently, that we may be seeing the first potentially lasting effects of Michigan’s relatively new Right-to-Work status.
On March 12, 2015, it was announced that NMC faculty had surprisingly decided to subject itself to union dues and contracts negotiated by third parties on their behalf.
TRAVERSE CITY –The Michigan Employment Relations Commission has certified the election and a majority of eligible faculty who voted have decided that all non-supervisory, full-time and part-time appointed faculty will be in a collective bargaining unit represented by the Michigan Education Association.
Northwestern Michigan College will begin negotiations with the Michigan Education Association for an agreement that will cover wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment for this group.
“Northwestern Michigan College will begin negotiations with the Michigan Education Association.” Check.
Part of the discussion as Freedom To Work was being debated, was the fact that union participation in states with right to work actually increased. Some of us made the point that making a union accountable hardly means its demise. Though it is still early, we might look at this small college in relatively conservative Northern surroundings and note the timing of this development.
Though causality can be debated, the question remains: “When was the last time the MEA picked up a new bargaining account in Michigan?” Is it possible it might have been a harder task when participation and forced cost to the employees was mandatory? The numbers to form the unit were high:
NMC’s non-supervising faculty overwhelmingly voted to form a union during a secret-ballot election that concluded Wednesday. Sixty-five faculty members cast ‘yes’ votes in the Michigan Employment Relation Commission election, compared to 16 ‘no’ votes, according to Michigan Employment Relations Commission records. One vote was not counted because of a spoiled ballot.
In other news, tuition increases on coming.
(11)Nuh Uh.
(1)
Tuition increases should be coming. It's all subsidized by
taxpayersgovernment gun at the head so, yes, Big Ed can increase tuition. And, no, dipsh!ts seeking degrees that pay nothing in the real productive world should not be excused of said loan debt. Student Aid Bill of Rights? Ya, f*** you you Precious Snowflakes™ indoctrinated. Too stupid to figure out the game, then be replaced by H1-B visas because you will. Sucking sound is in America. Fact.There was never any pressure from the grassroots on the state to actually enforce the Right to Work 'law' to begin with: http://www.mackinac.org/archives/2014/s2014-04.pdf
If 26,000 teachers can blatantly break the law (not the first time) by not showing up to work in order to protest RTW.. and the grassroots can't even pressure their legislators to 'comment' on that fact (let alone the physical assaults on our Capital lawn)...what makes anyone believe that the law itself would be an effective tool against or even 'followed' by these same people...ever?
That's all fine and dandy, however, had that statute not just targeted the MEA and included all the First Responders are Heroes™ goonions, then perhaps things would've been different.
OABTW, aren't you tired of bitching about "the physical assaults on our Capital lawn" yet? JHFC! What did you expect was going to happen? What did you expect the armed and badged segment of the First Responders are Heroes™ goonion brotherhood to do? Protect you? Puh-lease.
"...JHFC! What did you expect was going to happen?..."
The Patriots who decided to stand up for their children's right to assemble/speak not once but 3 times during those two weeks (as opposed to sitting behind their computers) knew exactly what was going to happen. We encouraged others who knew what was going to happen and more importantly 'what was at stake' to show up as well. We insisted on being inside our Capital when other Capitals (WI) were nearly destroyed and ours was physically under assault as well. When given the chance to speak with our legislators, we loudly insisted that all unions be included in any legislation put forward.
Did we stop anybody? No.
We're we there when nobody else wanted to be and did we stand tall in the face of what was a concerted effort to crush our will/drive us away? Yes.
I am extremely PROUD of the people who stood by each other during those historic 3 days and stood tall in the face of you can't imagine what.
Some things are worth fighting for and the fact that this 'inconvenience' (for most) is LOST every single time that anything of legitimate consequence rears its ugly head in this state (see the unanimous passage of pension obligation bond legislation at the exact same time in 2012)...is exactly why 'patriots' never organized in any meaningful manner these past 6 years..and most likely never will.
You ask if I'm "Tired of bitching"?
No, I'm actually tired of 'Patriots' who don't seem to hear the call to assemble/speak if it means demonstrating to our children what (physical) Patriotism is truly all about...beyond marching in front of elementary kids there to see the Capital on a field trip.
We made history over those 3 days in the face of literally hired outside 'help'' whose sole purpose was to bring us down/scare us away.
I'm proud of that fact and frankly could care less if you or anyone else feels otherwise.
...then again, maybe a lot of the 'gray hairs' were (still) just too embarrassed by their utter (intentional?) silence concerning the slow moving unanimous passage/signing of the most damaging legislation in recent history:
http://michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=146854
When TPers or anybody else 'blogging' obviously doesn't give a rip as to bankrupting their children in this manner so that they, their wives or whoever else in their "Tea Party"/immediate circle of family/friends is on a public pension...they're sure as heck not going to show up to defend their children's right to freely assemble, speak, defend the Capital Building from destruction nor keep them from getting the crap kicked out of them on the lawn outside.
Senate Bill 1129 of 2012 was the end of trusting anybody to have your back over anything in the state of Michigan concerning conservative 'causes' that never were.
Those patriots thrown under the bus not weeks later at RTW by their very own for good reason (nobody's been back since in any meaningful fight 'by design') was simply the last (tent) stake in the heart of a 'movement' that very frankly never was.