Michigan Senate Bill 1136 amends state law to cap the amount public employers can spend on employee health insurance, introducing new fixed dollar limits for single, couple, and family coverage starting in 2027. The bill also reverses a previous provision that allowed employers to pay no more than 80% of total medical costs, instead mandating that they pay at least 80% of those expenses beginning in the same year. These new financial caps are adjusted annually based on changes in Michigan health insurance rates or a minimum 3% increase, whichever is higher. Existing collective bargaining agreements that conflict with these limits are exempt until their current terms expire or are renegotiated.
HB 5021 requires local labor organizations representing casino gaming employees in Michigan to register biennially with the Gaming Control Board and provide detailed personal information about designated individuals, including home addresses, Social Security numbers, criminal history (even expunged convictions), fingerprints, and employment details. The bill establishes disqualification grounds for union officers or employees if they have certain criminal convictions (including gambling, theft, fraud, or prostitution-related offenses), made false statements, or engage in ongoing criminal activity for economic gain. Disqualification for prostitution charges specifically applies only if the individual has an ongoing pattern of such behavior, not isolated incidents. This bill directly affects union leaders in Michigan's casino industry by creating new transparency requirements and eligibility standards for their roles.
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.
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).
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.
