DETROIT, March 29 (UPI) -- Michigan's new right-to-work law took effect and Gov. Rick Snyder called it a time of opportunity. Protesters disagreed and demanded his removal.
The law allows an employer to hire workers who do not want to join a union even if the business is unionized. That means a worker can avoid paying dues to a union but receive the wages and benefits the union has worked to secure for its members.
About 40 protesters were outside the Detroit Athletic Club where the governor was attending a Pancakes and Politics breakfast event, The Detroit News reported Thursday.
"Tricky Ricky's got to go," they said.
Snyder had said the right-to-work law was too divisive for a state such as Michigan, known as a union stronghold. Right-to-work legislation was then pushed through with minimal debate during a lame-duck session last year.
""This is a moment of clarity, of opportunity, a chance to move forward," Snyder said at the breakfast event.
"Talking about change, when you have change, you will have concerns from people. I respect the people outside [the protesters]. I respect democracy. It's that human-nature feature; everyone likes change, except when it affects you," he said.
