#michigan matters

[reasonsforhope]

"For the first time in almost 60 years, a state has formally overturned a so-called “right to work” law, clearing the way for workers to organize new union locals, collectively bargain, and make their voices heard at election time.

This week, Michigan finalized the process of eliminating a decade-old “right to work” law, which began with the shift in control of the state legislature from anti-union Republicans to pro-union Democrats following the 2022 election. “This moment has been decades in the making,” declared Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber. “By standing up and taking their power back, at the ballot box and in the workplace, workers have made it clear Michigan is and always will be the beating heart of the modern American labor movement.”

[Note: The article doesn't actually explain it, so anyway, "right to work" laws are powerful and deceptively named pieces of anti-union legislation. What right to work laws do is ban "union shops," or companies where every worker that benefits from a union is required to pay dues to the union. Right-to-work laws really undermine the leverage and especially the funding of unions, by letting non-union members receive most of the benefits of a union without helping sustain them. Sources: x, x, x, x]

In addition to formally scrapping the anti-labor law on Tuesday [February 13, 2024], Michigan also restored prevailing-wage protections for construction workers, expanded collective bargaining rights for public school employees, and restored organizing rights for graduate student research assistants at the state’s public colleges and universities. But even amid all of these wins for labor, it was the overturning of the “right to work” law that caught the attention of unions nationwide...

Now, the tide has begun to turn—beginning in a state with a rich labor history. And that’s got the attention of union activists and working-class people nationwide...

At a time when the labor movement is showing renewed vigor—and notching a string of high-profile victories, including last year’s successful strike by the United Auto Workers union against the Big Three carmakers, the historic UPS contract victory by the Teamsters, the SAG-AFTRA strike win in a struggle over abuses of AI technology in particular and the future of work in general, and the explosion of grassroots union organizing at workplaces across the country—the overturning of Michigan’s “right to work” law and the implementation of a sweeping pro-union agenda provides tangible evidence of how much has changed in recent years for workers and their unions...

By the mid-2010s, 27 states had “right to work” laws on the books.

But then, as a new generation of workers embraced “Fight for 15” organizing to raise wages, and campaigns to sign up workers at Starbucks and Amazon began to take off, the corporate-sponsored crusade to enact “right to work” measures stalled. New Hampshire’s legislature blocked a proposed “right to work” law in 2017 (and again in 2021), despite the fact that the measure was promoted by Republican Governor Chris Sununu. And in 2018, Missouri voters rejected a “right to work” referendum by a 67-33 margin.

Preventing anti-union legislation from being enacted and implemented is one thing, however. Actually overturning an existing law is something else altogether.

But that’s what happened in Michigan after 2022 voting saw the reelection of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a labor ally, and—thanks to the overturning of gerrymandered legislative district maps that had favored the GOP—the election of Democratic majorities in the state House and state Senate. For the first time in four decades, the Democrats controlled all the major levers of power in Michigan, and they used them to implement a sweeping pro-labor agenda. That was a significant shift for Michigan, to be sure. But it was also an indication of what could be done in other states across the Great Lakes region, and nationwide.

“Michigan Democrats took full control of the state government for the first time in 40 years. They used that power to repeal the state’s ‘right to work’ law,” explained a delighted former US secretary of labor Robert Reich, who added, “This is why we have to show up for our state and local elections.”"

-via The Nation, February 16, 2024

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

putting my prediction on record now that the coming decade is going to see the rise of viral-marketed fancy at-home water filtration systems, driving and driven by a drastic reduction in the quality of U.S. tap water (given that we are in a 'replacement era' where our current infrastructure is reaching the end of its lifespan--but isn't being replaced). also guessing that by the 2030s access to drinkable tap water will be a mainstream class issue, with low-income & unstably housed people increasingly forced to rely on expensive bottled water when they can't afford the up-front cost of at-home filtration--and with this being portrayed in media as a "moral failing" and short-sighted "choice," rather than a basic failure of our political & economic systems. really hope i'm just being alarmist, but plenty of this already happens in other countries, and the U.S. is in a state of decline, so. here's praying this post ages into irrelevance. timestamped April 2023

[reportwire]

Theaters & Politics – CBS Detroit

Theaters & Politics – CBS Detroit

Southfield (CBS Detroit) – Buoyed by recent blockbuster films lead by “Top Gun: Maverick” things are looking up at  movie theaters which Anthony LaVerde, CEO of Emagine Theatres, talked about on CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters.” Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures) READ MORE: CDC: New Listeria Outbreak Tied To 23 Illnesses, 1 Death LaVerde told Senior Producer/Host Carol…

[mysharona1987]

[metalheadsforblacklivesmatter]

A military Veteran built a machine that creates clean water out of thin air and gave it to Flint Michigan (whose still suffering from the water crisis). And it was vandalized overnight and the guy that created it says whomever destroyed it knew what they were doing and it was very technical.

I can't imagine who would destroy a machine that provides clean drinking water to underprivileged primarily Black communities. 🤔🤔

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRq1EHeW/

-fae

[alwaysbewoke]

[akashicpoint]

MICHIGAN: REPORT FROM HELL CHARACTERS Grasshopper Manufacture 2004

[nononovaaa]

really sick and tired of people saying “how can this be happening in our time??” “imagine screaming for help and no one listens” “why is no one doing anything??” “how could I be witnessing a genocide in 2024?” Black people are still going through ethnic cleansing today from colonialism of Africa to the trans atlantic slave trade to chattel slavery to Jim Crow to mass incarceration to BLM to Cop City. We have been begging and screaming and crying for help, for mercy, for people to wake up and pay attention and you guys have ignored us and continue to do so. If you are saying Free Palestine but you dgaf about BLM, you’re not speaking up about Cop Cities or you’re not educating yourself on DRC, Sudan, Haiti, Ethiopia, etc., you are and always have been apart of the problem. You have blatantly ignored Black bodies being murdered mercilessly in the streets, being robbed of clean water at Flint and Atlanta, our Black towns being bombed, gentrification of Black neighborhoods, our lack of reparations and so much more. I don’t want to hear anymore “how could they do this?? why does no one care??” because you guys didn’t care when it began, when it happened and as it’s happening right in front of you!! Where do you think Israel and most Western countries get their inspiration for colonialism and ethnic cleansing from?? Black people across the globe are still going through ethnic cleansing TODAY and have been since white colonialism touched Africa!! We have been on the front lines of most movements and you guys ignored us, called us violent, called us angry, called us ignorant. We’ve been saying we are not free until we are all free and everyone moved on with their lives and said “well this doesn’t affect me.” If you’re not going to check your anti-blackness at the door, be prepared for a failed revolution.

[girl-in-the-mirrorbluenight]

I do sometimes feel like being a pre-hatchetfield fan does make me a bit of a fandom old at the ripe age of (almost) 25 lol. Even though I was not an actual original fan (pretty close though) I do feel like at least my youtube comments are mostly people who got into starkid as teens and young adults in the past couple or years, even the people who are around my age (or older) a lot of them discovered starkid through firebringer or hatchetfield. But my secret is I have an older sister so I got a look into some of that stuff a little bit before some of my peers who were the oldest children which is why I've been a starkid fan since I was 11 lol

[starbuddy003]

I want to make this post in honor of Patrick Loyola, and the people of Grand Rapids Michigan.

Today, and two days ago, people of Grand Rapids marched the city in protest of police brutality. Patrick Loyola was shot and murdered by a former GRPD cop on April 4th, 2022. The former cop’s lawyers are attempting to get an appeal, which is delaying the case. We cannot forget about Patrick Loyola and this case.

Article about the April 4th 2024 protest:

Article about the April 6th 2024 protest:

Please spare the time to read these articles, they are not very long. I also encourage you to spread the word.

Black lives matter.

[reasonsforhope]

LGBTQ+ organizations and allies are celebrating Michigan for becoming the first state in three years to pass comprehensive anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation, which now heads to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to be signed into law, finally passed after decades of court battles and hold-ups from Republican legislators.

The bill passed in a 64-45 vote in the Democrat-led House on Wednesday. It amends the state’s 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include LGBTQ+ people among its protected groups. The law forbids discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation within businesses, government buildings, and educational facilities on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, marital status — and now, LGBTQ+ identity.

Democrats had tried introducing various LGBTQ+ non-discrimination measures over the last 40 years, according to the bill’s gay sponsor Sen. Jeremy Moss (D). However, the attempts were repeatedly voted down by Republican-led legislatures. Last January, Democrats took control of the full legislature for the first time in nearly 40 years, finally giving them the chance to pass the protections.

In July 2022, Michigan’s Supreme Court issued a landmark 5–2 ruling that ELCRA already forbade discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as forms of discrimination based on sex and gender. This followed a 2020 Michigan Court of Claims ruling that said ELCRA didn’t ban anti-gay discrimination as well as a 2018 vote by Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission interpreting ELCRA as protecting LGBTQ+ people from religious-based discrimination...

When the House voted to pass the historic bill on Wednesday, a crowd in the House gallery broke into applause, Bridge Michigan reported. Republican House members had tried adding amendments that would’ve carved out exceptions for religious people to continue discriminating against LGBTQ+ people. None of these amendments passed into the final bill.

Gov. [Whitmer] has signaled that she will soon sign the bill into law. In a Wednesday tweet, she noted the observation of International Women’s Day and wrote, “I’m celebrating trans women who have continuously led the way, despite constant threats to their lives and liberty. I’m proud that we’re finally in a position to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect LGBTQ+ Michiganders. Let’s get it done!”

-via LGBTQ Nation, 3/9/23

Note: If it's not clear from the language, this is basically a done deal--the bill signing IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO HAPPEN.

As scary as things are right now, there are so many of us fighting to protect ourselves, our communities, and the queer and trans people around us.

This comes only a day after Minnesota's governor signed a landmark executive order that guarantees the right to gender-affirming care and prevents the state from complying with any other states' attempts to interfere. via them.us, 3/9/23

There is hope, and there are so many people fighting for us.

[blackwolfmanx2]

Detroit Proves Gun Control Is Racist!!

If you don't believe gun control is oppressive, better start believing now.

[tomorrowusa]

Michigan is not exactly a bellwether in the strictest sense of the word. However it is still one of the best places to observe trends in American politics.

I clicked the video above expecting to watch just the first few seconds but ended up watching the entire 18 minutes.

It focuses on Michigan because the double peninsula state offers a useful reflection of various directions in politics nationwide. And the vid is nicely done.

One thing we should particularly note about Michigan is that after Democrats won a trifecta there in 2022, they quickly set about making the state more progressive. They repealed anti-union and anti-abortion laws, strengthened LGBTQ+ protections, and abolished the state's peculiar retirement tax. And even before the trifecta, the party helped pass an anti-gerrymandering amendment which later turned out to be key.

Something to learn from Michigan: Pay a lot more attention to your own state government. The first step is to find out who your legislators are.

Find Your Legislators Look your legislators up by address or use your current location.

If you have the misfortune to be represented by MAGA Republicans, contact your state or county Democratic Party and ask what you can do to help send those varmints packing.

[kendallwa]

“The Michigan” now out on all streaming!! ✌🏽 ❤️

[metalheadsforblacklivesmatter]

-fae

[pantherclawz]

Still no justice for Flint