Petition Signatures Submitted!

MIRS BREAKING NEWS
--as reported by Michigan Independent Research Service

Collective Bargaining Signatures Submitted -- 2:01 PM
A union-backed effort to lock collective bargaining rights for public and private employees into the state constitution is one step closer to being on the Nov. ballot. Organizers today turned in around 684,000 signatures, more than twice the 322,000 valid signatures needed.

The Protect Our Jobs Coalition turned in more than 130 boxes to the Secretary of State just moments ago.

The group used a combination of union volunteers and paid circulators to gather more signatures than any other prior constitutional amendment proposal in recent history, essentially guaranteeing a place on the ballot outside of successful legal challenge.

The ballot proposal kills any future talk of a Right to Work proposal and rolls back any limitation on collective bargaining that the Republican-led legislature passed for Gov. Rick SNYDER's signature in the past 17 months. If passed, the proposed constitutional amendment also likely puts a stake through the heart of P.A. 4 of 2011, which allows a gubernatorial-appointed
emergency manager to alter or repeal a union contract.

MIRS reported on May 21 that Protect Our Jobs had more than enough signatures at that point to make the ballot, but were still collecting signatures in an effort to gain a statement-making number. The Michigan Education Association, in particular, and its members was active along with the UAW in collecting the signatures.

Good Job WLEA and MEA members!!!!