For years, the Michigan Education Association has held that members may only resign from the union in August, a policy commonly known as the August Window. The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation has fought against this policy, arguing that it violates the rights of union members.

Earlier this month, the Michigan Employment Relations Commission upheld the decision of a lower court ruling the August Window illegal. The MEA is expected to appeal this decision when the commission releases the full written explanation next week.

The Detroit Free Press wrote about the decision on Sept. 17:

The ruling could bring an end to a two-year fight by four Saginaw teachers — who had legal help from the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation — who wanted to leave the union. An administrative law judge made the initial ruling last year, but the MEA appealed. The Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) upheld that decision today.…

"The MEA should stop trying to ruin teachers' credit and should stop collections immediately on those who do not want to be part of the MEA," Patrick Wright, director of the Mackinac foundation, said in a news release. "These teachers simply want to decide for themselves which organizations they want to be a part of and which ones they want to support."

Several other media outlets have covered this victory for workers' rights, including The Detroit News, WILX, ABC 12, WDIO, the Mining Gazette and WOOD-TV. Wright also spoke with Frank Beckmann of WJR on Sept. 18; a recording of their discussion is available here.

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