As labor licks wounds, Republicans may have revenge in mind - Fox 2 News Headlines

By Tim Skubick
FOX 2 Political Analyst

LANSING, Mich. (WJBK) -- Having suffered a resounding defeat at the polls earlier this month, labor is still licking its wounds while at the same time it is putting its wagons in a circle hoping to fend off any GOP attempts at "tearing down workers."

Revenge is in the air as legislative Republicans return to the capitol and union leaders are acting like they expect a push for Right to Work legislation.

An intercepted memo from the president of the state AFL-CIO asserts the post election session "will likely bring Right to Work for Less legislation and other policies which would harm working families."  That from Karla Swift, who is hosting a Lame Duck Activist Event Wednesday night.

Some R's might be saying, "You guys should have thought about that before you stuck Proposal 2 on the statewide ballot."

For his part the governor is steering clear of a possible train wreck between labor and members of his own party.  Asked after the election if he was still friends with the UAW President Bob King, the governor asserted that he was and nothing had changed.

Only problem is not all the House GOP types feel quite as generous. They were forced to run for reelection with that pro-labor amendment on the ballot which forced them to take a position against it which surely alienated some of their constituents.

But chatter about RTW is one thing.  Getting the votes to actually do it is quite another.  The chief sponsor, Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clark Lake) has said the governor will have to support it before Mr. Shirkey tees this up for a vote.

The governor has not said that, nor has he said he would veto it, which has fostered the only glimmer of hope the labor types can cling to as the fun begins.

The headlines could well read:  GOP Governor Becomes Firewall for Organized Labor.  Now there's a quirky story line you don't see everyday.