Teamsters allege right-to-work laws are 'slavery'

The Washington Examiner reports:

Michigan labor unions are understandably upset over the Wolverine State's adoption of a right-to-work law and are fighting it in every way they can. Detroit-based Teamsters Local 214 has gone so far as to argue that it violates anti-slavery laws. Yes, anti-slavery.

In a Dec. 6 court filing, Local 214 argued that right-to-work laws are "a violation of the prohibitions against involuntary servitude" citing Article I, Section 9 of the state constitution: "Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude unless for the punishment of crime, shall ever be tolerated in this state."

"The claim was made in response to a lawsuit filed by four City of Dearborn employees who were going to be charged $150 by the union for any grievance they filed after they left the union when they exercised their rights under state law," according to a blog posting by the conservative Mackinac Center.

When words lose their meaning: people will lose their freedom as one famous philosopher has said.