Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is poised to sign a bill that will allow union bosses in her state to take a cut of family caretakers’ pay.
Michigan’s Home Help program reimburses the in-home caretakers of some seniors and disabled people using Medicaid dollars — with many of these caretakers being family members or close friends. A bill recently passed by Michigan’s Democratic-led Legislature, which Whitmer has stated she will sign, would reclassify these caretakers as public employees and push them to join the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
“What this bill is going to end up doing is taking money away from hard-working, caring, loving family members who, out of the goodness of their own hearts, are making sure that their loved ones are receiving the at-home treatment that they need in a bid to build more revenue for union bosses,” Republican Michigan state Rep. Bill Schuette told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It was rushed through in a single session day.”
The legislation would require that all personal caretakers attend an orientation program and mandate that a union representative be allowed to speak at that orientation. If passed, the law would require that union reps be allowed to distribute and collect materials and grant them the right to give a 30-minute-long presentation on unionization to the caretakers.
The Supreme Court decided in Janus v. AFSCME, a 2018 case, that public employees cannot be forced to join a union and pay union dues. Michigan Republicans proposed an amendment requiring that personal caretakers be informed of their rights under Janus during the mandatory orientation session.
Democrats, however, shot the amendment down.
“Thankfully, the Supreme Court has ruled that you can’t force public employees to join a union,” Schuette told the DCNF. “The way this scheme is set up, these caretakers will have no opportunity to hear that the union they are going to be presented with is optional.”
The AARP, a leading senior advocacy group, opposes the legislation, pointing out that the law would place an undue burden on friends and family wishing to take care of loved ones, according to an email obtained by the DCNF. AARP points out that even if caretakers opt out of joining the union, they still need to pay an “agency fee.”
SEIU Local 517M represents public employees in Michigan and stands to gain members when Whitmer approves the pending legislation. Dues paid to the SEIU would help fund the salaries of its leadership.
The national SEIU, which the Michigan chapter contributes to, pays its leadership generously, disclosures show.
Mary Kay Henry, the SEIU’s president, made $307,370 in 2023, according to disclosure forms. The labor organization also has five executive vice presidents, all of whom make well over $200,000 per year.
Funds flowing into the SEIU as a result of the new Michigan law could end up supporting Democrats in future elections.
Unions are prohibited by law from contributing membership dues directly to political campaigns, according to the Department of Labor.
They can, however, contribute revenue from membership dues to super PACs and 501(c)(4) advocacy nonprofits, both of which often work to elect candidates. Labor organizations can also unilaterally spend funds on political activities.
The SEIU, for instance, has pledged to spend $200 million to help Democrats in the 2024 election, The New York Times reported. Michigan’s SEIU chapter specifically has also been politically involved, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads supporting Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and dumping cash on state Democrats as they worked to repeal a law that prevented unions from forcing workers to join them.
The Michigan SEIU has also donated $425,000 to the Democratic Governor’s Association since 2014, records show.
While the SEIU could use the windfall of due revenue to pay its leaders or to support Democrats, Schuette expressed doubt that the union could even bargain for greater compensation for in-home caregivers given that their income is drawn from Medicaid.
The Michigan governor’s office and the SEIU did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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