The Tea Party-influenced GOP swung quickly into action after Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, earlier in the week, dropped his opposition to the anti-union, anti-worker bill and after the state Chamber of Commerce endorsed it. The GOP-run state senate is expected to pass the bill by Dec. 11 and send it to Snyder, who will sign it.

Unionists from all over the Wolverine State converged on the capitol building in Lansing to protest and lobby lawmakers. When unionists descended on Dec. 6, they found Snyder and the GOP had locked them out. A local judge later ordered the capitol opened, the American Federation of Teachers said.

Confrontations broke out all over the capitol grounds, with state police pepper-gassing unionists and arresting at least 14. Inside the building, the House Democrats, angry with the GOP’s railroad tactics, walked out en masse before the vote. When they returned, they opposed the right-to-work bill, which passed 58-52.

Union leaders put out calls statewide for activists to come to Lansing. “Right to work,” which would strip unions of the power to collect dues from all workers covered by a particular contract, has been a favorite Right Wing-business cause for decades.

United Auto Workers President Bob King not only asked his members to descend on Lansing, but also met personally with Snyder and legislative leaders beforehand to try to stop right-to-work. He failed. “This is a short term victory” for Snyder and “the radical right wing,” King said. But as a result, “You’ll see a lot more union organizing.”

This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.