Right-to-work protest in Mich.

A protester walks past Michigan State Police at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. The Republican-controlled Michigan legislature has given final approval to contentious laws limiting the power of unions in this labor stronghold, sending it to the governor for his expected signature. In a test of organized labor's strength in the heart of the industrial Midwest, the House passed two bills that were previously approved by the Senate. One dealt with public-sector workers and another focused on the private sector. Michigan would become the 24th right-to-work state, banning requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for services.

Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya