Michigan

Right-to-work no longer rules in private sector

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2024

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Right-to-work no longer rules in private sector

News Story

Agency fees still apply; public sector workers still have right-to-work

Right-to-work protections no longer apply to people who work in the private sector, meaning that if a union’s collective bargaining unit covers them, they must pay the union.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic majorities in the Michigan Legislature repealed Michigan’s right-to-work law last fall, and the repeal took effect Feb. 13.

Michigan implemented right-to-work protections in 2012, and union membership numbers continued their history of dropping. “For decades, union membership has been declining, with 2023 marking the lowest union membership on record,” said Steve Delie, director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Right-to-work law in Michigan did not prevent workers from joining a union. Rather, it guaranteed that those who were not interested in joining a union or paying a fee to it did not have to do so just to keep their job. The 2023 repeal of right-to-work reversed the rights of workers in the private sector.

Public sector workers, by contrast, still will not be required to pay or join a union. That’s due to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling called Janus v. AFSCME.

Private sector employees in Michigan who work in a unionized business will not have to join the union. But they will still be required to pay agency fees to the union. The amount of such fees is based on the union’s collective bargaining expenses, and it excludes expenses for the union’s political activity. An agency fee can, however, be as high as 90% of the cost of dues.

“Only ten percent of workers in the U.S. belong to a union,” Delie told CapCon. “Workers deserve the option to choose whether or not a union is best for them.”

If you are a public sector employee and encounter someone in the workplace who says you must belong to a union, please contact Michigan Capitol Confidential.

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Michigan

Rain chances linger into Monday across Southeast Michigan

Published

6 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

Rain chances linger into Monday across Southeast Michigan

Scattered rain will stay in the forecast tonight into early Monday before drier weather arrives

4Warn Weather – A system moving through the Ohio Valley will continue to bring rain chances to Southeast Michigan tonight into midday Monday.

Rain this evening will be scattered, and although a few rumbles of thunder can’t be ruled out, severe weather is not expected.

What radar could look like 10pm Sunday (WDIV)

Rain chances continue overnight with low temperatures falling to the mid 60s.

Forecasted low temps tonight (WDIV)

Isolated rain will linger into midday Monday.

What radar could look like 8am Monday (WDIV)

We’ll see more sun Monday afternoon and evening with highs in the lower 80s.

Skies will be mostly sunny Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs Tuesday will be near 85° before a bump in the heat Wednesday.

Southeast Michigan will have elevated heat stress levels Wednesday with highs near 90° (WDIV)

Highs Wednesday and Thursday will be closer to 90° before we fall back to the lower 80s Friday.

Southeast Michigan will have the chance for rain Thursday and Friday.

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Michigan

Fifth Third, Comerica merger: What Michigan customers need to know

Published

16 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

Fifth Third, Comerica merger: What Michigan customers need to know

DETROIT – A major banking merger is reshaping the financial landscape in Michigan — and customers need to take action before the changes take effect.

Fifth Third Bank completed its acquisition of Comerica, and beginning Sept. 8, Comerica customers will transition onto Fifth Third’s systems. The switch affects everything from mobile banking to direct deposits.

What Comerica customers need to do

Steve Davis, regional market president for Michigan, said the transition is designed to be straightforward for most customers.

“For the most part, what our customers are going to need to do is on September 8th, they’re going to log in to the Fifth Third app or their website, create a new user ID, a new password, and they’re good to go,” Davis said. “Their debit card, their ATM, their direct deposit information, all their ACHs — that’s all going to transfer over for them.”

To help customers prepare, welcome packets will be mailed in August walking through every step of the process. The bank says it is also staffing up to handle an expected surge in questions.

“It’s an all hands on deck to make sure that we can exceed customer expectations,” Davis said.

Customers looking for additional information can visit Fifth Third’s Better Together page.

Branch closures, but more options overall

The $10.9 billion all-stock deal — finalized in October — comes with significant changes to the branch network. More than 70 locations are slated to close as part of the merger.

The bank says it is working to relocate affected employees or help them find other opportunities. And while the closures mark a loss for some communities, Davis says the combined network ultimately gives customers more options.

“If you’re in the tri-county of Southeast Michigan — like Livingston, Macomb, Wayne, etc., we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there,” Davis said. “In the City of Detroit, we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there, so for our customers on average it’s a much better thing than a worse thing.”

Will Comerica Park be renamed?

Perhaps no question has captured more public attention than the fate of Comerica Park — the downtown Detroit ballpark that is home to the Detroit Tigers.

Could it become Fifth Third Park? That answer isn’t ready yet.

“We’re evaluating everything — we’ll decide something in the offseason,” Davis said. “It’s really cool that people care so much about Comerica Park and what it’s meant to them.”

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Michigan

‘Debate week’ set to test GOP, Democratic hopefuls in top Michigan races

Published

1 day ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

‘Debate week’ set to test GOP, Democratic hopefuls in top Michigan races

Lansing — Republican candidates for governor and Democratic contenders for the U.S. Senate will square off in a series of televised debates this week, giving voters across Michigan their best chances yet to compare the political hopefuls.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Grand Rapids NBC affiliate WOOD-TV will host a televised statewide debate featuring the three Democrats running for the U.S. Senate: former Wayne County health official Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham.

Then, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, WJBK-TV (Fox 2 Detroit) will host a debate for the three Republican candidates for governor: former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township and businessman Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Hills. The next night, WOOD-TV, which has been using the phrase “debate week” to promote the upcoming events, will host another debate with the three GOP gubernatorial hopefuls at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The string of forums will provide voters a chance to hear from people who want to be the state’s future leaders, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University.

“Any opportunity that voters have to hear directly from candidates in an unfiltered, uncontrolled, uncurated environment is good,” Dulio said.

The debates will come about four weeks before the Aug. 4 primary election, and many Michigan residents have absentee ballots available to them.

Michigan’s governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, can’t run again because of term limits. Meanwhile, the state has an open U.S. Senate seat because Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, decided against seeking reelection.

Many Democrats said they believe the race for their party’s nomination to replace Peters could be tight. If that’s the case, the televised debate on Tuesday could be important, said Adrian Hemond, CEO of the Lansing-based political consulting firm Grassroots Midwest.

“A marginal difference is a big difference in a close race,” Hemond said of the potential impact of the debate.

Who’s running to be Michigan’s governor?

The three remaining GOP candidates for governor, Cox, James and Johnson, are all expected to participate in the debates this week.

James has avoided most of the primary forums that have been organized. James ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 before winning in 2022 his U.S. House seat that represents a portion of Macomb County as well as Rochester and Rochester Hills.

President Donald Trump endorsed James to be Michigan’s next governor on June 22.

Johnson has dominated the TV airwaves this year, shelling out millions of dollars of his own money to promote his bid. He made his fortune developing quality controls for the auto industry. He is running on eliminating the state’s 4.25% personal income tax, which currently generates more than $13 billion in revenue annually.

Cox, who was Michigan’s attorney general from 2003 through 2010, has worked as a lawyer with The Mike Cox Law Firm.

The Democratic side has two candidates for governor: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of Detroit, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson of Fenton.

Benson is viewed as the favorite to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in part because of her slew of endorsements, including that of the United Auto Workers union. She didn’t participate in a June 4 primary debate organized by Fox 2.

Who’s running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan?

Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary has gained the national spotlight as a test of how the party’s voters might be leaning after the 2024 presidential election.

El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who ran unsuccessfully for governor eight years ago, has said he wants to build an economy that works for working people, provide guaranteed health care coverage and protect clean air and water.

He’s often clashed with Stevens, who’s been a member of the U.S. House since 2018. Stevens has said she wants to focus on combating rising costs and protecting personal freedoms and entitlement programs like Social Security.

McMorrow was first elected to the state Senate in 2018. Her campaign website vows that she will root out corruption, protect rights and keep tax dollars working at home instead of funding wars.

The Republican nominee will be former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

How to watch the debates

The WOOD-TV debates on Tuesday and Thursday will be carried by CBS Detroit in the Detroit area, WBSF in the Flint area, WLAJ in the Lansing television market, WWTV in the Traverse City area, WJMN in the Marquette area and WBKB in the Alpena area.

The Wednesday night Fox 2 Detroit debate will be streamed on its website. The first 30 minutes of it will be televised on Fox 2 during The Pulse’s regular time slot, hosted by anchor Roop Raj, who is moderating the debate.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

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