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Both sides of Michigan right-to-work brace for major blow to unions today By Kathleen Gray, Paul Egan and Lori Higgins Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

This one is going to be huge. And so are the consequences. There have been plenty of rallies -- big ones, in fact -- at the state Capitol, including the

5,000 or so people who descended on Lansing in 2011 for a protest against the state's former emergency manager law. But the predicted crowd of up to 10,000

people from inside and outside Michigan will be just about the biggest crowd the Capitol has seen as conservatives, union members and the news media flood

the streets of Lansing to protest, applaud and record the actions expected to be taken today on controversial right-to-work legislation. Cars with license

plates from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois sat in the Michigan AFL-CIO parking lot Monday, just a few blocks from the

Capitol. Since the restoration of the Capitol, this one is definitely going to be the biggest," said Steve Benkovsky, director of the Legislative Council

Facilities Agency, which manages the Capitol. We had about 2,000 here on Thursday, so I would say that between 7,000 and 10,000 is probably a good figure

for Tuesday. READ THE RIGHT-TO-WORK BILLS : Senate Bill 116 House Bill 4003 House Bill 4054 The state House of Representatives is expected to take up two

bills today that would make it illegal to require financial contributions to unions as a condition of employment. One of the bills covers public-sector

employees, and the other covers private-sector employees. The bills were passed Thursday by the Senate and are expected to pass the House. Gov. Rick Snyder

has already said he would sign them if the Legislature approves them. But that sense of finality didn't stop protests from breaking out across Detroit

and Lansing on Monday. There were protests in front of the state Capitol; at Cadillac Place, the home of state government in Detroit; at churches in Detroit,

and even in front of Snyder's gated community in Superior Township, just outside Ann Arbor. RELATED : Democrats warn Snyder about consequences over right-to-work

legislation rush RELATED : How the Michigan legislature voted on right-to-work bills The crowds were small, but passions ran high as union members braced

for what could be a substantial blow to organized labor in the state, and perhaps a ripple that could stretch across the country. We need to fight for

all Michigan citizens. These right-to-work bills are nothing more than the right to freeload," said Miya Williamson, 49, of Detroit, who was one of about

50 people who picketed in front of Cadillac Place on Monday. More than a dozen Michigan nurses stood on the steps of the Capitol building Monday morning,

donning red tops with their mouths covered in red duct tape in protest of right-to-work legislation. Written on the duct tape: "SNYDER'S RTW. It's a symbol

to show our voices as nurses are being silenced," said Katie Oppenheim, a registered nurse from Ann Arbor who works in the University of Michigan Health

System. FOLLOW ON TWITTER : Live tweets from Michigan reporters covering #righttowork LIVE COVERAGE: Michigan right-to-work protests in Lansing IN LANSING:

Riot gear is ready if needed, Michigan State Police say RELATED: Some schools closing today as teachers take a stand in Lansing Snyder announced and endorsed

the bills Thursday, and both the House and Senate had passed versions of them by 8 p.m. that day, without public hearings or going through the committee

process. The Legislature attached a $1-million appropriation to the bills, which makes them immune from a statewide repeal referendum. Although the two

Senate bills are scheduled to be voted on today in the House, Democrats there could use parliamentary procedures to delay final passage until Wednesday.

The swift action on the bills drew an angry response from House Democrats on Monday who called on their GOP colleagues to reject the bills when they come

up for a final vote. EDITORIAL: Editorial: Is this really about choice? The Democrats also blasted Snyder for his about-face on the issue. For nearly two

years, Snyder had said the issue was too divisive and was not on his agenda. But, after unions lost a ballot initiative Nov. 6 to try to enshrine collective

bargaining in the state constitution and after being pressured by his own party and several business interests, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce,

Snyder endorsed the controversial legislation. The governor of Michigan is one greedy nerd, and he's one weak geek," said incoming House Minority Leader

Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills. Meanwhile, House Republicans denounced Democrats for criticizing supporters of right-to-work laws, including calling them

"freeloaders. The men and women of Michigan are the hardest workers in the country. They get up every day to literally make, build and grow Michigan,"

said Speaker of the House Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. They deserve our respect, gratitude and protection. It is offensive that Democrats and union leadership

would refer to these hardworking men and women as 'freeloaders' if they don't want to join a union. In many open shops, employees who choose not to join

the union still get the benefits of union representation, such as negotiated contracts, without paying union dues. The crowds in Lansing will encounter

streets closed to traffic, a huge police presence and the distinct possibility that not all will be allowed into the Capitol. Bill Ballenger, editor of

Inside Michigan Politics, said that if attendance at the demonstrations is close to the estimates, it will likely be the largest demonstration ever --

certainly in the last 50 years. There were large demonstrations on the Capitol lawn during the Vietnam War, Ballenger said. Still, those crowds were smaller

than the current estimates. Protesters formed a tent city at the Capitol in 1991, after Gov. John Engler made significant cuts to state welfare programs,

he said. But that was notable more for the duration of the protest than for the number of protesters. Other large or controversial protests happened after

the state takeover of the Detroit Public Schools system in the 1990s and a Ku Klux Klan rally in 2005. Contact Kathleen Gray: kgray99 at freepress.com ; Paul

Egan: pegan at freepress.com , or Lori Higgins: lhiggins at freepress.com More Details: Going to Lansing? Here's what to expect Parking Parking will be limited

near the Capitol. Closed streets The following streets will be closed to traffic: Capital, from Ionia to Allegan; Michigan, from Washington to Capital;

Ottawa, from Capital to Walnut; Allegan, from Capital to Walnut, and Walnut, from Allegan to Ottawa. Access to the Capitol, what not to bring and searches

The Capitol will open at 7:30 a.m. Signs, noisemakers and sleeping bags are not allowed. State Police troopers have the right to inspect all bags coming

into the building. Police said the Capitol closes at 5 p.m., unless a chamber of the Legislature is in session. The building will be vacated either at

5:30 p.m., or 30 minutes after the end of session. When lawmakers will act The House session starts at 10 a.m. Lawmakers are expected to take up right-to-work

legislation today, but it isn't known when. Also, procedural moves could push a vote to the next session day. The Senate session also starts at 10 a.m.

The Senate passed two right-to-work bills Thursday and is not expected to vote today. About the legislation Three bills were identified in the Legislature

last week as part of the Republican-led right-to-work package. The bills eventually will be consolidated into two bills: one dealing with public-sector

employees and one dealing with private-sector employees, officials said. Its origin and purpose The first bill was introduced in the House, substituting

a right-to-work bill drafted by state Rep. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, for a bill that was in the House Commerce Committee. Gov. Rick Snyder said right-to-work

bills are about freedom and letting employees choose whether to support a union financially. State Rep. Steven Lindberg, D-Marquette, disagreed. This bill

is not about giving people choice; this bill is about breaking unions," he said. What the legislation says No private employee shall be required "as a

condition of employment to?...? pay any dues, fees, assessments or other charges or expenses of any kind or amount or provide anything of value to a labor

organization. Violators are subject to a civil fine of up to $500. No vote No vote The House bill appropriates $1 million to the Department of Licensing

and Regulatory Affairs for expenses related to the bill -- whether the money is spent or not. By making the right-to-work bill an appropriations bill,

the Republicans are making it referendum-proof.