Prop 2 Diverts Education Dollars From Classrooms To Union Coffers

Misleading Proposal Overturns Student Protections, Spends Education and Tax Dollars on Union Business, Union Political Funds

Lansing, MI, September 26, 2012—Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution (CPMC) today warned voters about more of unintended, far-reaching effects of the proposed hijacking of the constitution being hidden from voters, including a series of laws designed to prevent education and tax dollars from being spent on union political business instead of in the classroom that would be overturned upon approval of Proposal 2.

According to Proposal 2’s own language, under the proposal Michigan parents, voters and lawmakers would be permanently prohibited from “limit(ing) the right to collectively bargain for wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment,” including common sense school funding and taxpayer protections that prohibit unions from using tax dollars and money intended to pay for our children’s education on union and political business.

“The constitution is the last thing families want used to line the pockets of union bosses, especially with tax dollars earmarked for public education,” said CPMC Spokesman Nick De Leeuw.  “Parents expect that public education dollars will be spent teaching their children, not conducting union politics.  Still, the union bosses behind Proposal 2 bragged in internal legal memos and for months on their own website that their misleading proposal would overturn laws designed to prevent school dollars from funding union business.  Taxpayers deserve better than that, and so do Michigan kids.”

Proposal 2’s disastrous effects on education spending and taxpayer protections include:

• Public School Dollars Funding Union Activities (Public Employee Relations Act, Act 336 of 1947): This provision of PERA, which would be overturned by Prop 2, prohibits a public school employer from using public school resources to collect union dues or service fees.
• Tax Dollars For Union Bosses- Permitting Unions to Deduct Tax Dollars for Union Political Funds from Taxpayer Funded Public Employee Paychecks (Payment of Wages and Fringe Benefits Act – Act 390 of 1978): This law, which would be overturned by Proposal 2, prohibits a public employer from deducting contributions for union political funds from a public employee’s paycheck.
• Tax Dollars Spent to Conduct Union Business(House Bill 4059 of 2012): This bill, which would be constitutionally prohibited by Proposal 2, prevents tax dollars from being spent to pay union officials for time spent conducting union business.
• Union Dues Taken Directly from Public School Employees (Public Act 53 of 2012): This law, which would be repealed by Proposal 2, prohibits the collection of union dues directly from the paychecks of taxpayer funded public school personnel.

The Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, recently circulated a memo to its members admitting that a dozen or more student, parent and taxpayer protections, including laws that prevent school dollars intended for our kids from being used for union business, would likely be revoked should the proposal be approved in November.

This week educators and school groups representing thousands of Michigan public school boards, public school principals and superintendents formally announced their opposition to Proposal 2, including the Michigan Association of School Boards; Michigan School Association of Secondary School Principals; Michigan Association of School Administrators; Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators; and the Michigan School Business Officials.

Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution is a growing and diverse group of voters, taxpayers, job providers, individuals, local chambers of commerce and other organizations.  CPMC is committed to educating Michigan families about unprecedented attempts to radically overhaul the state’s constitution through new, misleading ballot initiatives. For more information, please  visit http://www.handsoffourconstitution.com.