Michigan Supreme Court says collective bargaining amendment belongs on November ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that a measure to include collective bargaining rights in the state constitution should appear on the November ballot. Which: whoa. This is incredible. The state Board of Canvassers will meet Friday afternoon to finalize the ballot, having previously deadlocked along partisan lines on whether to include the collective bargaining question.

According to backers of the measure, it would:

• Establish the people's rights to organize to form, join or assist unions and to bargain collectively with public or private employers regarding wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.
• Prohibit employers from retaliating against their employees for exercising those rights.
• Prohibit State and local governments from interfering with those rights.
• Authorize the State to restrict or prohibit public employee strikes.
• Protect current laws establishing minimum wages, hours and working conditions.
• Prohibit government from interfering with agreements respecting employees' financial support of their union.
• Grant State Civil Service employees' collective bargaining rights.

A recent poll by Public Policy Polling finds the collective bargaining measure leading by a 44 to 37 margin.