2012 December - Michigan Education Association

Election efforts bring MEA
members closer together
The Nov. 6 election gave voters a
clear choice: stand with working
families or corporate special
interests. At the end of the day,
Michigan voters—for the most part—
elected candidates who truly believe
that working families, seniors and
children should be put before CEO
profits.
But on top of their important votes
for candidates, Michigan voters
faced the most ballot initiatives in
more than two decades—six in
total, including five constitutional
amendments.
Well-financed corporate special
interests backed the defeat of each
of the three progressive constitutional
amendments supported by the MEA,
including Proposal 2, which would
have made collective bargaining a
basic right in Michigan.
Teachers and school employees
joined together with other union
members across Michigan and
fought tirelessly to pass Proposal 2.
MEA members knocked on doors,
canvassed neighborhoods, called
people from sunrise to sundown,
spoke at forums and made contacts
with voters until polls closed on
Election Day.
Opponents, meanwhile, spent tens
of millions of dollars spreading misinformation,
confusion and downright
lies. With their deep corporate pockets,
they defeated Proposal 2.
Without a question, the loss of
Proposal 2 was gut-wrenching for
union households across the state.
After working so hard for so long,
it can be difficult to take a step
back from such a loss and find the
positive.
However, Proposal 2 has truly led
to a stronger, more galvanized MEA
that is eager to continue to fight for
the priorities of Michigan’s working
families.
With the defeat of Proposal 2, corporate
special interests may smell
blood in the water and attempt to
further weaken existing collective
bargaining rights. CEOs risk overplaying
their hand, as any efforts to
undermine collective bargaining will
be met with very stiff opposition from
MEA members and others.
New research released just days
after the election provides encouraging
news. According to a new poll,
70 percent of Michigan voters continue
to support the right of workers
to organize and bargain collectively
over wages, benefits, and working
conditions.
The poll, conducted by Lake
Research Partners, showed the right
of workers to organize and bargain
collectively has broad bipartisan
support, including 85 percent of
Democrats, 77 percent of independents
and even 48 percent of
Republicans.
What’s more, 55 percent of voters
who voted no on Proposal 2 still support
collective bargaining rights.
The evidence leads to one conclusion:
Voters rejected Proposal 2 not
because they opposed collective bargaining,
but because they opposed
changing the state Constitution. This
is a critical reminder that the people
of Michigan support MEA members
as they fight for fair wages, benefits
and working conditions.
“Although voters ultimately rejected
MEA and other
union members
participate in the
Sept. 3, 2012, Labor
Day parade in
Detroit.
MEA VOICE 7