Labor & Employment (Collective Bargaining) in Michigan

in committee · Michigan · House Jul 15, 2025

HB 4725: Labor: collective bargaining; collective bargaining rights for student athletes; provide for. Amends sec. 1 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.201).

HB 4725 removes an exclusion that previously prevented student athletes at public universities in Michigan from being considered "public employees" under the state's collective bargaining law. The bill directly affects student athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics at public universities, granting them eligibility for collective bargaining rights under the same framework as other public employees. It amends Section 1 of the 1947 Public Employee Relations Act by deleting the specific provision (currently subsection (g)) that barred student athletes from public employee status for bargaining purposes. This change allows student athletes to negotiate terms like wages, working conditions, and benefits through recognized labor organizations, aligning them with other public employee groups covered by the law. The bill does not create new rights but removes a legal barrier to existing collective bargaining protections.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · Michigan · House May 6, 2025

HR 90: A resolution to urge the President, United States Congress, and the National Labor Relations Board to enact policies banning employers from permanently replacing striking employees.

House Resolution 90 is a resolution urging the President, the United States Congress, and the National Labor Relations Board to enact policies that would ban employers from permanently replacing striking employees. This aims to strengthen protections for workers who are on strike.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

in committee · Michigan · House May 7, 2025

HB 4451: Labor: collective bargaining; status as permanent replacement employee; prohibit employees from offering or granting to certain individuals who work for the employer during a labor dispute. Amends sec. 16 of 1939 PA 176 (MCL 423.16).

House Bill 4451 amends current law regarding unlawful employer practices during labor disputes. This bill prohibits employers from offering or granting permanent replacement employee status to individuals who perform work during a labor dispute. It also makes it unlawful for employers to give employment preference to individuals who worked or were willing to work during a dispute, over employees who were part of the labor dispute and have offered to return to work. This aims to protect the jobs of employees who participate in collective bargaining activities during a strike.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

in committee · Michigan · House May 7, 2025

HB 4454: Labor: collective bargaining; exclusive bargaining representative of public employees; allow the commission to certify labor organization as based on petition and hearing. Amends secs. 12 & 14 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.212 & 423.214).

House Bill 4454 amends Michigan law regarding collective bargaining for public employees. It allows the Michigan Employment Relations Commission to certify a labor organization as the exclusive bargaining representative for public employees. This can occur if, after a petition, investigation, and hearing, the commission determines that more than 50% of employees in an appropriate unit wish to be represented by that organization. This bill introduces an alternative path for certification, distinct from the existing requirement for a secret ballot election in certain representation disputes.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Professional Licensing Public Employees

in committee · Michigan · House May 7, 2025

HB 4452: Labor: collective bargaining; relocation of an employer's operations less than 1 year after its employees elect a bargaining representative; make an unfair labor practice. Amends sec. 23 of 1939 PA 176 (MCL 423.23) & adds sec. 18.

HB 4452 amends Michigan law concerning labor disputes. It introduces a new provision making it an unfair labor practice for an employer to relocate, cease, or subcontract operations within one year after its employees elect a bargaining representative. This means employers would be prohibited from making these specific operational changes shortly after employees unionize. The bill also outlines the process for the labor commission to investigate, hear, and remedy such unfair labor practices.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

in committee · Michigan · House May 7, 2025

HB 4458: Labor: collective bargaining; public employer ceasing or subcontracting its operations; prohibit if done less than 1 year after its employees elect a bargaining representative. Amends sec. 10 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.210).

HB 4458 amends existing law concerning public employee labor relations. The bill would prohibit public employers from ceasing or subcontracting all or part of their operations within one year after their employees elect a bargaining representative. This aims to protect newly formed bargaining units from immediate operational changes by the employer. The measure directly affects public employers and their employees who have recently chosen a union or bargaining representative.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · Michigan · Senate Jun 24, 2025

SB 437: Labor: public service employment; right to work; restore. Amends secs. 9, 10 & 15 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.209 et seq.).

SB 437 amends Michigan's public employment law to prohibit most public employees from being required to pay union fees or dues as a condition of employment. It removes mandatory financial contributions to labor organizations for general public employees (excluding police, firefighters, and state troopers under specific constitutional provisions). The bill restores the pre-2023 policy that allows employees to choose whether to financially support a union, while preserving agreements for police/fire departments where such fees were previously permitted. This directly affects all non-exempt public workers in Michigan state and local government positions.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · Michigan · Senate Jun 24, 2025

SB 436: Labor: collective bargaining; right to work; restore. Amends secs. 1, 2, 14 & 17 of 1939 PA 176 (MCL 423.1 et seq.).

SB 436 amends Michigan's labor law to restore a "right to work" provision, prohibiting employers and labor organizations from requiring employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. The bill explicitly bans mandatory union dues (Section 14(2)), making any agreement requiring such payments unlawful and unenforceable after its effective date. It also allocates $1 million to the Department of Labor for public education and implementation support regarding these changes. The bill directly affects employees (who can no longer be forced to pay union fees), employers (who cannot require such payments), and labor organizations (which must operate under voluntary membership).

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

passed · Michigan · Senate Jun 26, 2025

SB 319: Labor: collective bargaining; minimum staffing levels within a bargaining unit; make a mandatory subject of bargaining for certain public employees. Amends secs. 11 & 15 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.211 & 423.215).

SB 319 amends Michigan's public employee collective bargaining law to require that minimum staffing levels within a bargaining unit become a mandatory topic for negotiation between public employers and employee representatives. This applies specifically to public employees covered under 1969 PA 312 (which includes most state and local government workers like teachers, nurses, and first responders), making staffing levels a required subject of bargaining alongside wages and hours. The bill includes a limited exception: if a public employer faces reduced state funding or property tax revenue, it may choose whether to negotiate staffing levels, but must otherwise include them in bargaining. The change directly affects public sector workplaces where employee bargaining units exist, ensuring staffing levels cannot be unilaterally set by employers without negotiation.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · Michigan · Senate Jun 10, 2025

SB 381: Labor: collective bargaining; calendar and schedule for school year; make prohibited subjects of bargaining. Amends sec. 15 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.215). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0379'25

This Michigan bill amends labor law to prohibit public school districts from negotiating with teacher unions about 16 specific topics, including school calendars, staffing decisions, performance evaluations, and classroom observation policies. It directly affects school districts and their employee unions by restricting collective bargaining to only wages, hours, and basic working conditions. Key provisions add these topics to a formal list of "prohibited subjects" in bargaining agreements, meaning schools cannot discuss them during contract negotiations. The bill clarifies that operational decisions like school schedules (for state aid eligibility) and staffing reductions remain the sole responsibility of school districts.

Topics ✗ Education ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Teachers Collective Bargaining

All labor & employment bills