Michigan Court of Appeals: Michigan Civil Service Commission

Michigan Civil Service Commission: LANSING, Mich. - Michigan's right-to-work law applies to 35,000 state employees, a divided state appeals court ruled Thursday in the first major legal decision on the much-debated measure eight months after it passed. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The law prohibits forcing public and private workers in Michigan to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, and applies to labour contracts extended or renewed after late March. It went to court after questions were raised whether it can apply to state employees, since the Michigan Civil Service Commission, which sets compensation for state employees, has separate powers under the state constitution. FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2012 file photo, protesters sit in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., in an unsuccessful effort to block passage of right-to-work legislation that bans labor agreements that require employees to pay fees to the unions that represent them. On Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, the Michigan Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to uphold a challenge to the laws coverage of 35,000 state employees whose jobs are regulated by the Michigan Civil Service Commission. AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File Judges voted 2-1 to reject a lawsuit filed by labour unions representing state workers. In a state with a heavier presence of organized labour than most, thousands of protesters came to the Capitol late last year as the Republican-backed measure was passed quickly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.