FIGHT FOR WORKERS RIGHTS
at the LOCAL LEVEL
Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates and the Michigan Electeds Labor Caucus (MELC) is a movement of state and local elected officials uniting labor leaders, policymakers, and the general public to educate and advocate around policies, programs and projects that can bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to communities across Michigan.
Local elected officials want to do what’s best for their constituents.
But there are very few resources available to them that lay out exactly what policies are best for workers in their communities, and why. That’s why we’ve created the Municipal Solidarity Index. The Municipal Solidarity Index provides elected officials the tools they need to make positive change in their communities and evaluates municipalities on their legislative and administrative efforts to support organized labor and working families.
Many municipalities in Michigan have already made great legislative progress, and their work should not go unnoticed. By systematically reviewing city code, the Municipal Solidarity Index will recognize the cities and elected officials that have made workers’ rights a top priority.
The index has five parts:
These policies list the employment and labor access standards local governments can enact for themselves and their contractors.
FAIRNESS
Policies in this section ensure that the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, formerly incarcerated, and people with disabilities are upheld.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
These ordinances describe how local governments can promote the creation of high-paying, union jobs and create more economic opportunities for their constituents.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Ordinances in this section ensure that corporations who receive economic development incentives are keep their promises and create good jobs.
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
Briefs in this section describe the symbolic support that elected officials can give to workers and their unions with their positions of power.
SCORING CRITERIA
The scoring criteria details the specific internal policies and ordinances that local governments pass or implement to receive positive grades.
Local units of government will be graded
on their compliance with the index
To learn more or for help passing these policies, please reach out to advocates@miaflcio.org or sign up to become part of our Michigan Electeds Labor Caucus (MELC) by donating below.
TEXT “MELC” TO 235246 TO JOIN THE FIGHT.
Join the Municipal Electeds Labor Caucus
By joining the Municipal Electeds Labor Caucus (MELC) you will be connected with a network of local elected officials who are working together across the state who fight for laws and policies to protect their constituents’ rights, on and off the job.
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Be the first to know about important developments and opportunities in Michigan’s labor movement.
Who We Are
Hardworking Michiganders are the bedrock of the American dream. They put in the long, grueling hours. to build the cars we drive, educate our children, care for the sick, keep the lights on, and ensure our trains and buses run on time.
The labor movement has worked hard to guarantee these hard-working Michiganders are treated fairly, both on and off the job. The labor movement fought for and won the 40-hour workweek, health and safety, wrongful termination laws — the list goes on. At a time when progress in Washington DC has stalled out in partisan gridlock, it’s more important than ever to turn our focus to state legislatures and local government.
That’s why we created Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates, a public-advocacy organization, to advocate in Lansing and in local governments for important policy changes.