Monday, July 04, 2011

“Michigan’s Public Employment Relations Act: Public-Sector Labor Law and Its Consequences,”

Executive Summary [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"This report outlines a variety of ways the Michigan Legislature can address the damaging impact of PERA.
These options range from modest, targeted reforms to an outright ban on collective bargaining in local units of government.

Among the targeted reforms to correct at least some flaws in the law are the following:

Establish additional statutory limits on the subject matter of collective bargaining, backed by a strong enforcement mechanism, to ensure that the public retains control over important policy decisions.
At a minimum, the state Legislature should require that collective bargaining agreements conform with state laws and local ordinances.

Suspend collective bargaining privileges and agreements when government employee unions flagrantly violate PERA by going on strike.
Collective bargaining for government employees is a privilege, not a right.
“Abuse the privilege, lose the privilege” is a sound rule.

Bar agency fees from public-employee collective bargaining agreements — in other words, an “open government employment” rule — to end what has essentially become a taxpayer subsidy of union politics."

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