Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to repeal the state’s right-to-work law, making it the first state in nearly 60 years to roll back a law that allows employees in unionized workplaces to not pay union dues or fees.

The Democratic governor also signed a bill to reinstate a prevailing wage law requiring union-level wages and benefits for workers on state-funded construction projects.

“Today, we are coming together to restore workers’ rights, protect Michiganders on the job, and grow Michigan’s middle class,” she said.

Twenty-six states now have right-to-work laws, which curtail union strength in the private sector. Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision, unions representing government workers cannot require nonmembers to pay union fees.

Michigan Republicans argue that repealing right-to-work laws will make it harder for the state to attract businesses. Democrats contend that right-to-work laws are unfair because they allow people who do not pay into the union to benefit from contracts negotiated on their behalf.

Nearly 46,000 private-sector workers who were covered by a collective bargaining agreement in Michigan were not dues-paying union members.

Detroit Free Press, March 24