Briefs
Unions OK contract agreement with MGM Grand Detroit Casino
Union members voted on Saturday to ratify a new contract with MGM Grand Detroit, ending a 47-day strike. “I am happy to announce that MGM employees ratified their contract tonight. I am impressed by how all the unions and members worked together to win an excellent contract. I’m looking forward to going back to work,” […]
Former union lobbyist Jonathan Byrd pleads guilty to aggravated assault
Jonathan Byrd, a prominent former union lobbyist leader in Michigan, pleaded guilty on Friday to aggravated assault in a Kalamazoo court after being accused of sexual assault of a female colleague at a social event in April 2022. Byrd had been president of the South Central Michigan AFL-CIO chapter until his resignation in late March […]
As acting governor, Benson signs bill codifying online absentee ballot requests
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Friday signed into law, as acting governor, legislation codifying her office’s practice of allowing registered and qualified voters to apply for an absentee ballot online. The Michigan constitution allows for an “acting governor” to sign legislation, in the event the governor and lieutenant governor are away on business. […]
Businessman Sandy Pensler joins jammed GOP field for Michigan U.S. Senate seat
Saying he wants to take the “Senate back from the morons,” Grosse Pointe Park businessman Sandy Pensler is making another run for U.S. Senate, announcing via a video Friday morning that he has joined the race for the Republican nomination to replace Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Lansing, who announced earlier this year she would […]
At U.S. Senate lunch, Rand Paul aids Joni Ernst in choking emergency
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is doing okay after a fellow senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the Iowa Republican when she choked on food during a closed-door GOP lunch Thursday. “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats. Thanks, Dr. @RandPaul!,” […]
On this day in 1953: Former Gov. Kim Sigler dies in plane crash
On Nov. 30, 1953, GOP former Gov. Kim Sigler died in a plane crash. He was 59. Often described as “Hollywood Kim” because of his dapper style, Sigler served a single two-year term as Michigan governor from 1947 to 1949. His tenure occurred as the nation continued its transition from the World War II era […]
The UAW’s Big Three strike led to a surge in union organizing at other automakers
The UAW’s successful strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers has workers at more than a dozen other car companies interested in joining the union. The UAW says thousands of non-union autoworkers at companies including BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo have announced campaigns to organize their workforces. If […]
Federal judge finds former owner of mid-Michigan dams liable for nearly $120M in damages
A default judgment has been entered against the former owner of a mid-Michigan dam that failed in 2020, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people and damaging thousands of homes and businesses. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on Monday awarded a $119.8 million judgment against Lee Mueller, whose business, […]
On this day in 1994: Iconic U.P. Rep. Dominic Jacobetti dies
On Nov. 28, 1994, longtime Democratic state Rep. Dominic Jacobetti died at Bell Memorial Hospital in Ishpeming. He was 74. Jacobetti was born in the Upper Peninsula in 1920. It was the same year that Ralph Story, television and radio personality best known as the host of “The $64,000 Challenge,” was born in Kalamazoo and […]
Pugh leaves U.S. Senate race to run for congressional seat left open by Kildee
Michigan State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh announced on Monday that she will run for the 8th Congressional District seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, a Flint Democrat. “After hearing from several community leaders and stakeholders, I have decided to become a candidate for Michigan’s 8th congressional district instead of continuing a […]
Whitmer calls for special elections to fill two vacant Michigan House seats
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter on Wednesday to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson calling for a special election to fill two vacant seats in the Michigan House of Representatives, left open by former Reps. Lori Stone (D-Warren) and Kevin Coleman (D-Westland). Whitmer called for a special primary election on Jan. 30, 2024, with […]
On this day in 1945: UAW goes on strike against General Motors
On Nov. 21, 1945, the United Auto Workers (UAW) launched a worker’s strike against Detroit-based General Motors. The 113-day national work stoppage was not resolved until March 13, 1946. It affected about 320,000 hourly workers in 96 plants, including several in Michigan. During the early days of the work stoppage, Democratic President Harry Truman vowed […]