Posted in: Michigan, Workers' Rights

Mich. voters file twice the signatures needed for collective bargaining

Tag collective bargaining, constitution amendment, gov. rick snyder, Michigan, Michigan Education Association

by Félix Pérez

With nearly a month to go before the deadline to submit signatures, Michigan educators, firefighters, nurses, small business owners, members of the faith community and other volunteers sent a powerful message to Gov. Rick Snyder and other state politicians: we will not be deterred from preserving collective bargaining.

The volunteers collected 136 boxes filled with the petition signatures of 684,286 voters. The signatures — more than twice the required 322,609 valid signatures — were delivered to the Michigan Secretary of State June 13.

“Michigan voters have had it with Lansing politicians who have passed bad laws that hurt middle class families while doing nothing to help put Michigan back to work,” said Warren teacher Karen Kuciel, who attended the petition delivery. “This amendment to protect basic collective bargaining rights will help rebuild Michigan’s middle class, protect the wages and benefits of workers, and grow Michigan’s economy.”

Educators organized by the Michigan Education Association joined more than 40,000 volunteer signature gatherers from every county in the state to put a citizens’ initiative on the November 6 ballot that would preserve in the state constitution the right of every worker to collectively bargain.

The Protect Our Jobs Initiative, launched in March, had until July 9 to submit the signatures.

Follow Michigan educators and working families as they work to pass a constitutional amendment that protects the right of workers to collectively bargain. Receive EdVotes’ weekly email alert.