Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sabo to lead Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus

The Legislative Labor Caucus, now entering its second session, met this week to elect new executive officers for the current term

LANSING, Mich., March 18, 2021 - Representative Terry J. Sabo (D-Muskegon) was elected Chair of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus on Tuesday afternoon.

“As a union member for my entire professional career, I have always been a strong advocate for Michigan workers,” said Sabo. “I view the caucus’ role as an educational tool to educate members from both sides of the aisle about labor unions and to ensure that the working-class men and women of Michigan are represented in Lansing.” He added “the diversity that this newly elected executive board brings to the table will be an asset. That, coupled with the labor experience that each brings, will help us build a strong foundation for the caucus to build on for years to come.”

While the inaugural Labor Caucus was launched last legislative session, it was slow to get off the ground due to the COVID-19 pandemic and members are ready to pick up where they left off.

The Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus was founded in December of 2018 as a bi-partisan and bi-cameral caucus and will reconvene in the next couple of weeks to set priorities for the remainder of the two-year session. Sabo said he is hopeful to attract new members from both parties. They plan to host a statewide listening tour over the next year to listen to workers and rank and file union members from every corner of the state.

Joining Sabo as officers are:

Executive Vice Chair: Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac)
Secretary: Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park)
Treasurer: Rep. John Cherry (D-Flint)

Camilleri and Sabo introduce bills to protect workers, repeal Right to Work in MI

LANSING, Mich., February 9, 2021— Following years of Michigan workers being stripped of their organizing and bargaining power, State Reps. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Terry Sabo (D-Muskegon) introduced House Bills 4175 and 4176, which would repeal Michigan’s Right to Work law and restore worker protections to pre-2012 levels for private and public sector employees, respectively.

“As the son and grandson of union autoworkers, I’ve seen firsthand the way union membership builds power in our families and communities,” said Camilleri. “Over the past nine years, we’ve seen workers receiving lower wages on average while companies have enjoyed higher profits. By repealing this unjust law, we can strengthen the voices of Michigan workers and allow them to receive the pay, benefits, and protections they need and deserve.”

Michigan’s controversial Right to Work law was first passed in 2012 in an all-night lame duck session without bipartisan input or support, and studies have shown that workers in RTW states, both union and non-union, tend to earn lower wages on average and have lower-quality health and retirement benefits.

“As a retired firefighter and police officer belonging to a public sector union, I believe Michigan workers deserve a stronger voice and more protections for their wages and benefits,” said Sabo. “These two bills are needed in order to fix what the Republican Majority passed into law in 2012. These bills will help improve the lives of Michigan’s working families and the communities they live in.”

"Rick Snyder and Lansing Republicans have spent nearly a decade directly attacking working people's wages and rights to organize, and it has hurt our state's ability to recover from tough times like this terrible pandemic," said Ron Bieber, President of the Michigan AFL-CIO. "Repealing so-called 'right to work' laws will give people the freedom to organize and bargain for a fair return on their work, it will boost wages for folks who need help right now, and it will give frontline workers more of a voice at work. We can do better as a state to help people get to work healthy and return home the same way. Let's get these laws repealed to help smooth the road ahead as Michigan continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic."

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