By Kate Edwards
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over
and expecting different results. In Lansing, Michigan, unions are
doing their best impersonation of Wisconsin. More than 26,000
children missed school today because their teachers called in
"sick" to protest right to work legislation. Warren Consolidated
Schools, Taylor School District and Fitzgerald Public Schools were
closed in response to the "sick out" teacher protests. 
The Right to Work Bills for both public and private employees
passed through the Michigan House earlier today. Assuming the bills
are signed into law, Michigan will be the
24th state to pass right to work legislation, which
would allow a worker to choose whether they wanted to join a union
and pay union dues. This is concerning to unions, because not only
is this happening in the birth state of the United Auto Workers
(UAW), but it eliminates the union stranglehold on workers in the
industry and the money in their pockets.
But of course, teachers unions say they are all about the
children. This must be why Robert Freehan, spokesman for the Warren
school district, stated, "We're concerned about the safety and
security of the students, so we're treating [today] as a snow day."
Freehan estimated that several hundred teachers had called in sick
Monday morning.
If these protests in Michigan follow the path of the Wisconsin
protests, we have days of "shame on you" chants and fraudulent
behavior ahead of us. In Wisconsin, teachers took extended
absences, schools were closed for days and doctors set up booths on
the grounds of the capitol and signed off on fake sick notes for
protestors. Parents were left scrambling to find care for their
children, or presumably miss work themselves.
Michigan is poised to join the ranks of Right to Work States
that, according to AFP Michigan, have been responsible for 72% of
new private sector jobs since 2009. Politifact states that, on
average, private sector job growth is about 5% faster in right to
work states.
How many more snow days will Michigan have before it becomes all
too obvious the teachers union is not looking out for the best
interest of the students?
Update 4:55PM Comedian and Fox News Contributor Steven Crowder is sucker-punched and choked on camera at the Lansing, Michigan protests.
Kate Edwards is the Program Officer for Chapter Services for Young Americans for Freedom
