Updated from MLive: Right-to-work efforts announced Thursday by Republican leaders

Posted on Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 10:55 a.m.

Update: Follow right-to-work updates from Michigan's Capitol

MLive’s David Eggert reports that Republican lawmakers in Lansing announced plans to pass “right-to-work” legislation at a press conference Thursday morning. Governor Rick Snyder was also a part of the press conference.

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Until today, Governor Snyder has been hesitant to publicly take a stand on right-to-work, saying it has not been a priority.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

According to Eggert’s report, both state police and union members were building a large presence in the capital ahead of the announcement and potential voting on the issue, which could occur later Thursday.

Snyder said he did not view the legislation as anti-union and that he hopes it will help the Michigan economy continue to grow.

Right-to-work laws are designed to make union dues non-mandatory for workers whose employment is covered by collective bargaining agreements negotiated by labor unions. Opponents fear that such legislation could weaken the power of unions and conditions for workers across the state.

Proponents of the laws argue that passing right-to-work would attract employers and help bring more jobs to the state. According to a recent The EPIC-MRA poll, voters are divided as to whether Michigan should become the nation's 24th right-to-work state.

Read the preview report from MLive.com.

Read the full report on the press conference from MLive.com.

MLive's Meegan Holland live-tweeted the press conference. Follow her @Meholland to see what was said.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

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