Summary — HB 4233 (Public Employment Relations Act amendment) — Allow public school employers to assist in collecting union dues
Status and key dates
- Enacted as Public Act 114 of 2023. Approved by the Governor July 26, 2023; filed with the Secretary of State July 27, 2023. Effective date: sine die (91st day after final adjournment of the 2023 Regular Session).
- Introduced in 2023 by Rep. Jaime Churches (House Labor Committee). Passed House (6/20/2023) and Senate (6/28/2023).
Purpose and intent
- To remove a prohibition in the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA, 1947 PA 336) that prevented public school employers from using public-school resources to assist labor organizations (unions) in collecting dues or “service fees” from public school employees’ wages. The change restores the ability of public school employers to facilitate payroll deductions for union dues or similar fees.
What the bill changes (primary provisions)
- Amends MCL 423.210 (section 10 of PERA) by deleting the provision that classified a public school employer’s use of public resources to assist a labor organization in collecting dues or service fees from employee wages as a prohibited contribution to a labor organization’s administration.
- Leaves intact other PERA protections and requirements (e.g., prohibitions on coercion, discrimination, and requirements for collective bargaining).
- Removes the 2012 restriction (2012 PA 53) that had shifted dues-collection responsibility to unions; the bill reverses that change for public school employers.
Scope / who is affected
- Public school employers as defined in PERA: boards of school districts, intermediate school districts (ISDs), public school academies, governing bodies of joint endeavors or consortia of such entities, and chief executive officers where a school reform board exists.
- Public school employees (teachers, support staff, etc.) and exclusive bargaining representatives (teachers’ unions and other labor organizations) — they may again use employer payroll systems for voluntary deductions of dues or service fees.
- Payroll and human-resources offices in affected school employers (may implement payroll deduction processes).
Background and rationale
- The bill reverses a change enacted in 2012 (PA 53) that prohibited payroll deduction assistance for school employees; proponents argued the prohibition unfairly burdened unions and staff, and that payroll deduction is a routine administrative service. Opponents at the time cited views about minimizing public involvement in union administration and asserted potential administrative costs.
Fiscal impact
- Nonpartisan analyses (House and Senate fiscal staff) estimate no significant ongoing fiscal impact on school districts. Some districts may incur minimal, one-time administrative costs to change payroll setups.
Positions reported in committee testimony
- Support: AFSCME Council 25, Dearborn Federation of Teachers, Detroit Federation of Teachers, Michigan Education Association, Michigan AFL‑CIO, Michigan Association of School Boards, SEIU Michigan, and others.
- Opposition/concerns: Mackinac Center for Public Policy, National Federation of Independent Business (testimony recorded in 2023).
Notes on bill numbering and later measures
- The HB 4233 described above (labor change) was enacted in 2023 as PA 114. The bill number HB 4233 has been reused in a later (2025) legislative session for unrelated legislation concerning foreign acquisition of agricultural land; readers should not conflate the two measures.
