News & Events
Coalition to Protect Collective Bargaining Submits Nearly 685,000 Signatures – Double What State Requires
06.13.2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Led by a Michigan Nurses Association member, volunteers submitted signatures from nearly 685,000 Michigan voters to the Secretary of State today in support of a constitutional amendment to protect Michigan residents’ right to negotiate for fair wages and benefits. The 684, 286 signatures submitted are more than double the state requirement to appear on the November ballot.
“Collective bargaining protects our right to negotiate for fair wages and benefits,” said Ashley Forsberg, a registered nurse at Sparrow Hospital and Michigan Nurses Association member who led volunteers in submitting 186 boxes of signatures today. “It gives us a voice to speak up for safe patient care and protects us from arbitrary behavior by our employers.”
Forsberg was also chosen as the official signer of the petition filed with the Bureau of Elections, underlying the Michigan Nurses Association’s commitment to protecting the voice of nurses and others in the workplace.
“Collective bargaining lifts up all workers and businesses,” said Nayyirah Shariff, a Flint small business owner. “Everyone benefits when management and workers can come together and negotiate.”
The 684, 286 signatures submitted reflected support of a broad cross-section of Michigan voters from every county, from young people to senior citizens, Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
“Collective bargaining ensures we have the equipment and staffing necessary to keep people safe,” said Eric Weber, a Lansing firefighter. “No one understands the tools we need to keep our communities safe better than the people working on the ground every day.”
Volunteers attributed the large number of signatures and enthusiasm for the campaign to the support of workers who see the direct benefits of collective bargaining in our community every day.
“Collective bargaining helps teachers keep our class sizes small and focused on educating our kids,” said Eve Ratliff, a speech pathologist at Glen Peters School in Macomb. “Nothing is more important than that.”
The Protect Our Jobs initiative was launched in March 2012 to safeguard the collective bargaining rights of workers within the Michigan Constitution. The petitions will now be certified by the Michigan Secretary of State Bureau of Elections to be formally added to the November ballot.
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