Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

In his visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Michigan today, Presdient Obama amplified and gave full-throated endorsement of the battle being fought to stop Michigan from becoming the nation’s 24th “Right to Work for Less” state:

“[B]y the way, what we shouldn’t do — I just got to say this — what we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. We shouldn’t be doing that. These so-called “right to work” laws, they don’t have anything to do with economics; they have everything to do with politics. What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.”

PHOTOS and much more after the jump.

Coming soon to a state near you

Lee Fang over at The Nation has a great piece up titled “Pro–’Right to Work’ Groups In Michigan Outspend Union Counterparts”. In it, he shows how anti-union groups are dramatically outspending pro-union anti-Right to Work for Less groups in Michigan.

Details on this and so much more after the jump.

Solidarity!

From our friends at Working Michigan:

Details and a larger version of the graphic after the jump.

This should be interesting

Next week, the state legislature reconvenes on Tuesday. When they get to work that morning, they will be greeted by thousands of outraged Michiganders who are there to let these lawmakers know that the Right to Work for Less legislation — or Right to Freeload as some are calling it — it an afront to the citizens of the birthplace of labor unions.

I wrote yesterday about the involvement in the rally as well as that of Planned Parenthood. Now, with other groups signing on, we learn that conservative groups have reserved the Capitol Building grounds in an effort to stop their rally.

Details and more after the jump.

Be there or … hell with that, just BE THERE!

There will be a HUGE rally at the State Capitol Building in Lansing on Tuesday, November 11. Labor groups, progressive allies and Planned Parenthood are teaming up to demonstrate a show of solidarity unlike any we’ve seen yet.

Details and more after the jump.

It’s time for ACTION!

I have a piece up today at the AFL-CIO NOW blog that discusses the travesty that happened at the state capitol yesterday. I wanted to expand on a couple of things that I discussed there. Mainly, that the Republicans, including Governor Rick Snyder are complete and utter hypocrites on the topic of unions and union-crushing Right to Work for Less (RTWFL) laws.

Much more including how YOU can get involved after the jump.

You wanted a fight, Republicans? You have yourselves a fight!

Facing a Republican attack on collective bargaining rights and a full-court press to make Michigan a Right to Work For Less state, the Michigan AFL-CIO is hosting another Lobby Day at the State Capitol Building in Lansing tomorrow.

The Republicans have switched from the already-deceitful name “Right to Work” to “Freedom to Work”, presumably so that they can get the attention of tea party fanatics that worship anything with the word “freedom” or “patriot” associated with it (unless that loss of “freedom” comes in the form of an Emergency Manager for an African American community, of course.)

Details about the event and more after the jump.

Dorquist-(n) someone who would never cheat on Grover Norquist Here’s the problem: The GOP knows they lost the White House along with seats in the House and Senate. And they don’t really care. Sure, they recognize that if they lose the state of Texas the way they have California, they’re basically on a free-fall path to extinction. But the Republicans […]

Now is not the time to rest The Michigan legislature holds its lame duck session starting today and continuing through December 20th. The Republicans who control both houses of our legislature are signaling that they intend to get a LOT done in over the next four weeks. Further efforts to destroy our labor unions, an egregious, overreaching “reform” (aka privatization) […]

Seriously. Just. One. Day. Anne and I are spending the Thanksgiving holiday in St. Louis and, last night, we were returning from our dinner and celebrating at around 11:45. We drove by the West County Center, a huge shopping mall anchored by one of the biggest Macy’s I’ve ever seen. Traffic was backed up to get into the mall and […]

Thanks

The day after Rachel Maddow and her producer Laura Conaway made a video of themselves making and enjoying our new drink, the “Emergency Manager”, our blog got a mention on The Rachel Maddow Show itself. Last night, Rachel ran through a rather impressive of lists of things that she is thankful for, things we should ALL be thankful for. Eclectablog was one of them.

Video and more after the jump.