I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Democrats in Michigan have always relied on the unions for the boots on the ground heavy lifting of campaigns. An endorsement from a large union comes with cash and manpower.
And Democratic candidates for governor Andy Dillon and Virg Bernero are following that gospel, fighting for the union endorsements. Each has picked up sizable union nods.
Dillon has the Police Officers Association of Michigan, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights, Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324. Bernero has the Michigan AFL-CIO, the UAW, the Michigan Education Association and the American State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Still waiting in the wings are the Teamsters. On Friday, State Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D-Huntington Woods) let slip during a press conference announcing her endorsement of Dillon, that the Teamsters would soon throw their name and support behind the Speaker as well, reports the Detroit News.
This should not be a surprise to even casual political observers of the Dillon-Bernero battle.
While Bernero has played the populist card, the reality is he has had moments of frustration with unions in Lansing. Last summer, they split their endorsements between Bernero and opponent Carol Wood in the Lansing mayor’s race. But the Teamsters have perhaps a far more raw response to Bernero than other unions.
The local Teamsters filed a complaint against Bernero and his mayoral administration in 2007 alleging the mayor had violated fair labor practices. In 2008 an administrative law judge ruled that indeed, there had been a violation of the Public Employee Rights Act (PERA). The entire complaint and ruling can be read here.
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