AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber warned lawmakers that attempting to tackle a repeal of the state's prevailing wage law during the lame duck session will "poke a hole in the hornet's nest the likes of which you've never seen." In this week's podcast, Bieber talks about the state of organized labor in Michigan, Donald Trump's appeal to union members, which Democratic congressional candidate have the best shot at winning Nov. 8, and more.

Also, will Michigan general election ballots have a straight ticket voting oval in 2018 or 2020? The MIRS team looks ahead to the merits of the case against the legislation that banned the oval from ballots and how that could be decided in the months ahead. And who would have thought running as an "insider" was a winning strategy, yet some state legislative candidates have found success highlighting their experience with Lansing.