FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
July 21, 2016
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Schuette Should File Brief Supporting Teachers Fighting Wage Confiscation
Educators need a true ally, not a political show horse
MICHIGAN — If Attorney General Bill Schuette wants to stand on the side of justice and support Michigan educators, he needs to file a brief supporting their campaign against the 3 percent wage confiscation they’ve fought since 2010, Progress Michigan said today.
In a major victory for educators and their unions, the Court of Appeals recently ruled that a 2010 policy requiring teachers to contribute 3 percent of their paychecks to a retirement system without any guarantee they would see a benefit was unconstitutional. This was a policy that Bill Schuette fought for on behalf of the state for years before finally dropping his support.
Unfortunately, Gov. Rick Snyder is continuing this attack on teachers. However, Bill Schuette simply bowing out of the case is not enough — especially after years of opposing them — he needs to vocally stand with teachers.
“Michigan’s teachers deserve an attorney general who will fight for them and their rights every day. They don’t need a political show horse who only shows up or remains silent when he thinks it can advance his own political career,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Schuette has spent his years in office parading around the country crusading on lawsuits that fit his political agenda, the least he can do is tell the Michigan Supreme Court that he thinks Gov. Snyder’s appeal is meritless.”
On Tuesday, teachers from across the state protested in Lansing to speak out against Gov. Snyder’s decision to appeal the Court of Appeals ruling.
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