On March 24, 2023, Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation repealing the state’s right-to-work law. The repeal will go into effect on March 30, 2024.
The right-to-work law prohibited union-security agreements, which required that private and/or public employees pay union dues or service fees as a condition of obtaining or continuing employment. Employees who chose to opt-out of the union were still afforded rights and benefits as members of the bargaining unit.
Next Steps for Employers
To prepare for the repeal of the law, employers in Michigan may need to take the following steps:
- Review their collective bargaining agreements to determine if they contain union security clauses. If so, the employers will need to renegotiate those clauses with the unions;
- Review their employee handbooks to make sure they are in compliance with the new law. The handbooks should now include information about the rights of employees to join unions and to pay union dues or service fees;
- Train their employees on the new law. Employees should be aware of their rights and responsibilities under the new law; and
- Be prepared for possible unionization efforts. The repeal of the right-to-work law is likely to make it easier for unions to organize employees, and employers should be prepared to deal with these efforts.
