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Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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Police hunt for gunman after UnitedHealthcare CEO is killed in Midtown Manhattan; Record number of women to serve in state legislatures nationwide; Onions caused McDonald's E. coli outbreak, but beef production still a concern; Detroit suburb revitalized by federal funds.

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Trump reportedly is considering replacing Pete Hegseth as defense nominee, the French PM is ousted, South Korea rejects martial law, Montana blocks a trans bathroom ban, and women's representation in state legislatures hits new highs.

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Limited access to community resources negatively impacts rural Americans' health, a successful solar company is the result of a Georgia woman's determination to stay close to her ailing grandfather, and Connecticut looks for more ways to cut methane emissions.

Bipartisan poll: MI voters favor protecting union jobs, labor laws

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Friday, November 1, 2024   

Just days away from the big election, a new bipartisan survey shows Michiganders strongly back protections for labor laws and reject any cuts that would affect teachers and other public-sector workers.

A survey by Red America, Blue America Research suggests voters will speak out on issues such as overtime-pay changes, teacher shortages and risks to public services.

Nicholas Chapital, a 12-year union rep with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Detroit who serves as the union's assistant manager, said the results show that, despite anti-union rhetoric, most workers support being able to unionize.

"Unions are just a labor representation, stating the facts of what everybody is needing," he said. "Just the little things requiring that both labor and employer can get along to service their customer, whether that's public or private."

The survey also asked if people thought it should be made easier to vote - or more difficult - and almost 60% of respondents said "easier."

John Davis, a partner with the polling firm, urged that if people care about labor laws, teacher shortages or the stability of public-sector jobs, they should make their voices heard.

"Folks should make sure to get out and vote," he said, "and then, keep in mind that if these are topics that they care about, election determines who will get to be in office. But policy doesn't get made until the beginning of next year - so, if you care about this, make sure to keep paying attention."

Chapital said he believes the next U.S. president must tackle a critical challenge facing labor industry states such as Michigan - and that is, keeping blue-collar jobs secure in the face of advancing technology.

"We used to have factories that used to build your books - your instructions," he said. "We don't have those any more because now your instructions are built into your actual car."

How likely are people to vote in the upcoming election? The survey shows 81% say they're
almost certain to cast their ballots.


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