LANSING - Organized labor in Michigan was a major winner following the Nov. 7 general election.

In the past several years, the threat of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's veto pen has been the only counter-balance to anti-worker and anti-union legislation. Now, with the state House in Democratic control, labor and the Dems they supported can go on offense in support of workers.

"I fully expect the governor and the Michigan House will be more helpful to Michigan's working families," said state AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney. "We have far more hope and confidence now than we did before Nov. 7."

Here's why:

• Labor-friendly Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) was voted back into office by a margin of 56-42 percent, beating billionaire businessman Dick DeVos, who spent about $50 million of his own campaign money.
• U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) retained her seat for six more years, trouncing Republican challenger Mike Bouchard by 57-41 percent margin.
• In the Michigan House, Democrats picked up six seats, and now enjoy a 58-52 margin, which means they will control that legislative body for the first time since 1997. The GOP fared better in the Michigan Senate, where they lost one seat but still retain control with a 21-17 margin.

Tim Hughes, legislative director for the Granholm Administration, said the governor's record of standing up for Michigan's working families paid off at the polls.

"The labor vote was very helpful," he said. "I think union members and a lot of other Michigan voters know what kind of trade policies that have come out of Washington, and they voted for their own economic self-interest."

Hughes said in dealing with the Republican House and Senate the last four years, "the governor may have stopped more bad legislation than any governor in the country. Republicans would send all kinds of bad stuff to her desk that they know she would veto, just so that they could say she was standing in the way of progress. That won't happen any more."

Some issues the governor would like to promulgate, Hughes said include expanding health care coverage for the uninsured, allowing no-reason absentee ballot voting and making it easier for small business owners to back 401-k plans.

Gaffney said his wish list includes improving unemployment and workers' compensation benefits for workers - but that's tempered with the fact that the state may be facing another $500 million shortfall in its budget.

In Congress, labor-backed candidates in Michigan's congressional delegation didn't make any gains, but the six Democratic members of the delegation were returned to office. With Democrats winning control of the U.S. House, several Dems from Michigan are in line to take over as chairs of important committees and subcommittees.

In the House, Rep. John Dingell will chair the Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. John Conyers will be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Bart Stupak will run the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Rep. Sander Levin Levin could chair the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee and Rep. Dale Kildee could be in line to a lead a subcommittee on education.

In the U.S. Senate, Michigan's Carl Levin will become chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Stabenow will retain her seat on the Senate Budget Committee.

Races for the state Board of Education and university Board of Education seats were a sweep for Dems:

Reginald Turner, Jr. and Casandra Ulbrich were elected to the State Board of Education.

Faylene Owen and George Perles were elected to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.

Katherine White and Julia Darlow were elected to the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

Eugene Driker and Debbie Dingell were elected to the Wayne State University Board of Governors.