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Some Michigan schools cancelled tomorrow-

They're being cancelled for "Right to work" protests, which from my slight understanding of it is a bill that will allow people to not have to join unions, or pay union fees to get equal treatment in the workplace, or whatever.
It's a pretty big deal for out generation, and I know some other states have already passed this law.
My school is included in the closings, and a lot of teachers are going to be protesting to try and get the governor to not pass it.
What are your thoughts on this bill?

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRJOCnZTEiA]Right to work-Facts[/url]- I haven't watched this video, but I'm assuming it'll explain it well enough to get a basic understanding.

December 10, 2012

11 Comments • Newest first

BobR

[quote=Irony]That's their excuse, but we all know it's an actual strike.[/quote]
It's not a strike. You can call it that, but you're wrong.
If it was a true work stoppage, it would be a good deal more serious than the school district not wanting to hire substitutes for a single day.

Reply December 11, 2012
Irony

That's their excuse, but we all know it's an actual strike.

Reply December 11, 2012
BobR

[quote=Irony]School strikes are dumb, they're adults acting like immature middle schoolers.[/quote]
It's not a strike. The teachers are taking a personal day off (which they're entitled to do) to go to Lansing to protest this radical legislation.
They're exercising their democratic rights to be heard, in a completely legal fashion.

It's up to the school districts to hire substitute teachers to cover for the teachers who will be out of school for the day. If they can't handle that, then it's up to the school district to do something about it. Apparently their answer is to simply close the school for the day.

Reply December 11, 2012
Sungoon

Not MSU, but I don't have classes anyways so whaterr
Glad to not be in K-12 anymore

Reply December 11, 2012 - edited
Irony

School strikes are dumb, they're adults acting like immature middle schoolers.

Reply December 11, 2012 - edited
BrandonIsBack

@BobR: It's official. I've learned more from basilmarket than from 2 years of Highschool.
I love you.

Reply December 11, 2012 - edited
BobR

[quote=BrandonIsBack]They're being cancelled for "Right to work" protests, which from my slight understanding of it is a bill that will allow people to not have to join unions, or pay union fees to get equal treatment in the workplace, or whatever.[/quote]

It's an effort by the Republican't Party, funded by the billionaire Koch Brothers ALEC organization to try to break up the largest contributors to the Democrats, and thus allow the Republican'ts to do whatever they want.

The Republican'ts know they can't win elections fairly, so they have to resort to cheating, and this is just the latest maneuver in that process.

The Governor reversed himself on this issue because the Unions tried to get a Constitutional Amendment (to the Michigan Constitution) passed in the last election and this is his "payback" for people trying to exercise their rights to self-government. He and the Republican't controlled legislature are trying to force this "union busting" legislation though in the "lame duck" session (the time remaining between now and the beginning of the new year) because the Republican'ts lost seats in the legislature (due to their cheating and maneuvering), and they know they'd have a harder time ramming things like this through the new legislative session so they're trying desperately to get it done now.

The Democrats have filed suit in Michigan courts trying to get it stopped because the Republican'ts are (again.. they've done this before) ignoring laws that require specific time periods for debate and discussion, and are forcing this bill through "in the dead of night" with no ability for anyone to debate it.

As to the issue itself- "The Right to Work for Less Money" measures say that if you work at a company that has a union, you don't have to join the union and pay dues, but you still get to sponge off the efforts of the union to improve workplace safety, benefits and compensation. This results in the unions having less money to oppose Republican'ts with in elections, and it results in companies being able to force workers to work for less since the union's power is reduced.

Thus it benefits Republican'ts and rich corporations, and drives wages and workplace safety down for the average Michigan worker.

Reply December 11, 2012 - edited
BrandonIsBack

[quote=Chema]Because denying education is the best solution[/quote]

I think that skipping one day to protect the integrity of the unions that keep the teachers at work is a much better use of a day.
Say this passes because nobody protested, and then many teachers get laid off, or whatever happens when unions stop caring.

Then, rather than missing one day of education, you miss multiple(because everyone knows substitute teachers don't teach) while they work to replace the teachers

Reply December 10, 2012 - edited
mechibi

this logic..

Reply December 10, 2012 - edited
Chema

Because denying education is the best solution

Reply December 10, 2012 - edited