Board Deadlocked On Collective Bargaining Ballot Initiative

LANSING (WWJ) - The State Board of Canvassers is deadlocked along party lines on a ballot proposal that would guarantee collective bargaining rights in the Michigan Constitution.

But supporters say there is "no legal reason" the proposal should not be on the ballot on Nov. 6 and they're not giving up the battle.

John Armelagos, a registered nurse in Ann Arbor, told WWJ Newsradio 950 he collected $1,100 of the $700,000 petition signatures for the "Protect Our Jobs" initiative.

"This is gonna be a multi-front battle. Those who have the legal expertise in this campaign will be fighting the legal battle. Those folks like myself who understand the benefits of collective bargaining for citizens of Michigan -- we're gonna be out in the communities," Armelagos said.

The two Republicans on the board said it should not be certified for the same reasons a proposal that would have cleared the way for more casinos in Michigan was blocked by the state Appeals Court on Tuesday.

Meantime, opponents of the proposal called Wednesday's vote a victory for Michiganders.

"We applaud the Board of Canvassers for standing up today in defense of Michigan voters, taxpayers and job providers," said Jim Holcomb, JD, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

"The intentionally confusing and unconstitutional union boss ballot proposal would have undone a lot of the good work families and job providers have done in recent months to position Michigan for an economic comeback," he said. "The Canvassers did the right thing keeping the proposal off the ballot and protecting Michigan's Constitution."