LANSING, MI - Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican legislative leaders on Thursday announced plans to make Michigan the 24th state with a right-to-work law that would end mandatory payment of union dues as a condition of employment.

"I think this is what's best for Michigan," the GOP governor said while flanked by House Speaker Jase Bolger, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, Lt. Brian Calley and three union members who support the law.

"I do not view this as something against the unions," Snyder said, saying it's about making sure "workers have the right to chose who they associate with."

Police and fire unions would not be affected by the new law. Snyder cited the dangers of their jobs and their "special bond and connection."

Unions protest right to work at Michigan Capitol 29 Gallery: Unions protest right to work at Michigan Capitol

Lawmakers plan to include a measure that includes an allocation for spending money in the right-to-work bills. That would proof the right-to-work law against being overturned by voters in a referendum.

Michigan - which has the fifth-highest percentage of union members in the U.S. - would be just the second state in the industrial Midwest and Northeast with such a law, joining Indiana. Snyder - who has long resisted pursuing right-to-work bills, citing the "divisiveness" - pointed to neighboring Indiana as a reason why it makes sense for Michigan to follow suit to stay competitive attracting business investment.

Nearly 18 percent of Michigan workers are union members, according to

As they made the announcement inside the Romney building across from the Capitol, union demonstrators crowded both inside and outside the doors to the governor's office building.

Unions worry the law could hurt their clout and finances as people choose to stop paying dues. But supporters say workers ought to have more control or freedom over whether they are forced to pay union dues.

Currently workers don't have to join a union. But if they don't, they still have to pay fees anyway. The legislation would no longer require employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment.

Supporters of right-to-work say states with such laws have an advantage recruiting some types of employers. They say adopting a right-to-work law would help bring more jobs to the state.

Critics of right-to-work say the laws drive down wages for all workers and don’t help the economy. They say a state's education system, roads and other infrastructure issues are the real drivers for business location decisions.

Debate over right to work intensified in part because of Proposal 2, a union-backed measure that would have guaranteed collective bargaining rights in the state constitution and derailed any right-to-work movement. Michigan voters rejected Proposal 2 this month.

Right-to-work talk previously had never gained much momentum in Michigan, a relative union stronghold where roughly 18 percent of employed workers now are represented by labor unions.

The percentage of employed workers represented by unions has declined significantly in recent decades.

East Lansing Mayor and nurse Diane Goddeeris said she’s “extremely disappointed.”

“I think to do something so quickly without having good conversation isn’t the way we do things in this country. We sit and talk about it,” she said. “For us as nurses at Sparrow and for us as nurses across the state, we worked hard to have these collective bargaining agreements and to work together to have a voice in the work place and this right-to-work legislation really puts a wedge in there and stops the ability for us to have that same dialogue.”

MLive.com reporters Tim Martin, Melissa Anders and Jonathan Oosting contributed to this report.