The Huron Valley Area Labor Federation Endorses Ann Arbor for Public Power’s Ballot Initiative

Ann Arbor, MI – At its August meeting, delegates from each of the unions composing the Huron Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (HVALF) unanimously voted to endorse Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2)’s 2026 ballot initiative. If passed, the measure would put together an exploratory board to evaluate the details of municipalization of the Ann Arbor power grid.

The push for public power is fundamentally a working-class issue. For working families already struggling with rising energy costs and unreliable service from DTE—ranked among the worst private utilities in the nation—public power offers a pathway to greater affordability, accountability, and democracy in our region. 

“DTE’s current for-profit utility model has failed Michigan’s working families time and time again,” said HVALF President Ian Robinson. “A2P2’s initiative puts the people of our community at the table and guarantees that the transition to public power prioritizes good union jobs and wages, and reliable, affordable service for our communities. This is a chance for Ann Arbor voters to take an important step toward putting local communities—not powerful corporations—first when it comes to critical choices about how the electricity that powers our city is produced.”  

HVALF rejects a green energy transition built on worker and community exploitation. Instead, the labor movement demands a just transition that puts people and the planet first: a transition to a worker-centered future where the economy serves human health, climate stability and environmental justice, not the reverse. Crucially, A2P2’s proposed public utility board would include a seat reserved for a representative of organized labor to begin this work locally.

Contact: Mark Tallents, markt@huronvalleyalf.org, (734) 251-1821, with questions, comments, concerns, and requests for interviews.

…

HVALF is a regional body of the AFL-CIO and the largest labor federation in Ann Arbor and the surrounding Huron Valley area, uniting 40 labor unions and over 22,000 workers across Washtenaw, Jackson, Livingston, and Hillsdale counties. 

A2P2 is a grassroots organization of local Ann Arborites advocating for 100 percent renewable, publicly-owned electric utilities for the city of Ann Arbor.