In
UAW v. Green, the Michigan Court of
Appeals ruled Thursday that the Legislature has the authority to apply
right-to-work rules to state employees. Plaintiffs had brought the case,
representing state employee unions, arguing that only the Michigan Civil
Service Commission can impose such regulations on classified employees.
The
split decision was written by Judge Henry Saad, including the opinion of Judge
Pat Donofrio. The dissent was written by Judge Elizabeth Gleicher.
As
expected, conservative groups and Attorney General Bill Schuette praised the
Court’s decision, while right-to-work opponents such as the UAW described the
decision as purely political. The UAW also stated they are considering options,
including appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court.