LANSING – The Michigan AFL-CIO issued the following statement from President Ron Bieber on passage of OPEB reform legislation, which is now headed to Governor Snyder’s desk:
“This legislation is an important step forward that will help protect health care for Michigan’s retired police officers, firefighters, and municipal employees like snow plow drivers, nurses, and librarians. The original drafts of these bills would have been absolutely terrible for our current and future retirees, but working people from all over the state came together and fought back by making thousands of phone calls, sending letters, and having one-on-one conversations with their state legislators. Thankfully, Lansing got the message. The legislature made important changes to improve these bills, and working people won a big victory. The message here is clear: there is power in numbers, and when working people stand together in union, we can protect our freedom to retire in dignity.”
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Lt. Governor gave huge tax breaks to wealthy corporations, raised taxes on Michigan seniors
LANSING – The Michigan AFL-CIO issued the following statement today from President Ron Bieber commenting on news that Lt. Governor Brian Calley is running for governor:
“Michigan’s working families need leaders who will have our backs and work to build an economy that works for everyone. But Brian Calley has been Rick Snyder’s right-hand man for the past seven years, working side-by-side to rig the rules of Michigan’s economy to favor the wealthy and big corporations at the expense of regular working families. Remember, it was Brian Calley who cast the tie-breaking vote to give a $2 billion tax break to wealthy corporations, while creating the new Snyder Retirement Tax on seniors’ pensions. One thing is clear, Brian Calley and Bill Schuette both represent a third term for Rick Snyder, and they’d both be terrible for working people in Michigan.”
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LANSING – Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber issued the following statement today commenting on the U.S. House of Representatives voting to approve the Trump-Republican tax plan:
“Working people in Michigan need a better deal on taxes, but the Trump-Republican tax plan ain’t it. This legislation will give a huge tax break to the richest 1 percent – people like Rick Snyder, Bill Schuette, and Betsy DeVos. Even worse, the Trump-Republican tax plan will raise taxes on Michigan’s working families, while slashing funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and education. It’s just plain wrong to give special tax breaks to the wealthy and powerful at the expense of working people, and Mike Bishop, Fred Upton, Tim Walberg, and Jack Bergman ought to be ashamed of themselves. We need to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy.
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LANSING – The Michigan AFL-CIO issued the following statement from President Ron Bieber supporting new legislation announced today by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-Flint) and Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) to fight wage theft in Michigan:
“Working people across Michigan are putting in the hours, going above and beyond to do a good job, and yet far too many are getting stiffed by their employers. It’s about time someone in Lansing stands up for them to make sure everyone who works hard for a living gets the pay they’ve earned. This legislation is long overdue, and Lansing Republicans should do the right thing and pass these bills right away.”
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