On Tuesday, the state of Michigan, the birthplace of the UAW and
the nation's organized labor movement, became the country's 24th
right-to-work state. Michigan joins Indiana, which passed right-
to-work legislation in February, to become the second right-to-
work state in the heavily unionized Midwest. The legislation
marks a monumental shift away from union power to "open shop"
free labor. Right-to-work laws prohibit workers from being
forced to contribute mandatory dues to labor unions in order to
gain employment, regardless of whether or not they are members
of a union, and prohibit employers from firing workers if they
don't join a union. With workers no longer obligated to pay
union dues, union membership, revenue, and strength decline.
Predictably, there was no shortage of outrage from union workers
this week as they stormed the capital building in Lansing to
protest. Teachers walked out of schools and Democratic state
senators even walked out on the final vote to approve the
initial bills. Union workers