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Capitol Protests/Day Two: Firefighters and police battle against repeal of PA 312

By Bonnie Bucqueroux on February 23, 2011

UPDATE: While union protesters were focused on the proposed repeal of PA 312, the Republic legislators passed a new law that allows Emergency Financial Managers new powers to seize and run school districts and municipalities. (

Hundreds of firefighters and police officers showed up at the state Capitol in Lansing to protest Rep. Joe Haveman‘s (R-Holland) bill 4205. The proposed law would repeal Public Act 312, which has given workers the right to binding arbitration since 1969. Binding arbitration is an essential element in collective bargaining for unionized public employees, since they do not have the right to strike.

I talked with protesters about why they are outraged at what they are calling an assault on worker rights. This is the second day union workers have protested at the state Capitol in Lansing, and there appeared to be more protesters today than there were yesterday.

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Bonnie Bucqueroux teaches at Michigan State University's School of Journalism. A National Magazine Award winner, Bucqueroux built her first website in 1996. She is credited with having the first campaign blog of any candidate running for federal office when she ran for Congress as the Green Party candidate for District 8 in 2000. She was also recently named co-president of Lansing Area NOW with co-president Susan Masten.

One response to “Capitol Protests/Day Two: Firefighters and police battle against repeal of PA 312”

  1. Thursday, February 24, 2011 | LansingandBeyond.com
    Thursday, February 24, 2011 | LansingandBeyond.com
    February 24, 2011 at 4:18 am |

    [...] . . . Police and Firefighters fight to keep Binding-Arbitration rules intact [...]

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