BY DAVID NICHOLAS
We're in an important month for Right-to-Work in Michigan.
As a Right-to-Work state, August is the time period during which teachers can opt out of union representation.
Vincent Vernuccio is Director of Labor Policy at the Mackinac Center in Midland. He said the option for an opt-out is tied to the date when Right-to-Work officially took effect.
"Workers that are in contracts that have been renewed, entered into or extended after March 28th, they have that Right-to-Work provision in that contract saying that the union cannot get that worker fired for not paying them. However, workers that are in contracts that are older than March 28th or before Right-to-Work went into effect, they're still under the old labor law of Michigan," Vernuccio said.
Vernuccio said the Michigan Education Association had established August as the only opt out month for teachers.
The Mackinac Center has created a website for workers to verify their contract status as it applies to Right-to-Work.
It is miworkerfreedom.org
Calls to MEA officials for comment for this story were not returned.