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Michigan Supreme Court decides issue between Road Commission and unions: if you don't know who won, you're not paying attention.
The Macomb County Road Commission and the unions representing its employees had used the same life expectancy tables for 24 years to determine retirment benefits. Under the Public Employee Retirement Act, both are required to collectively bargain over terms and conditions of employment. The Road Commission decided to change the tables it used to calculate benefits without bargaining over the issue: the unions objected, pointing out that the 24-year history constituted an assumed term that couldn't be changed unilaterally or without bargaining. Obviously, the adoption of the new tables diminished what employees were paid on retirement. The Supreme Court voted 4 to 2, (all Republicans approving) that while the tables were part of the Collective Bargaining Agreeement which is subject to mandatory bargaining, the Road Commission could dictate a change without Union involvement.