Opinion ID: 1984692
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Dissent's Views on the Civil Rights Act

Text: Again we agree with the generic proposition propounded by the dissent that Michigan courts frequently look to the federal law arising under title VII for guidance in construing our own Civil Rights Act. Koester v. City of Novi, 458 Mich. 1, 11-12, 580 N.W.2d 835 (1998). However, we disagree that the Northwest Airlines decision provides aid to the union's attempt to avoid contribution liability for discrimination in which the union participated. As stated by the Supreme Court in Northwest, title VII contained no provision touching upon contribution and there was no federal statute authorizing contribution. In the absence of any federal statute supporting a contribution action, the Supreme Court declined to impose one, believing this to be a legislative prerogative of the Congress. This is precisely the opposite of our situation; Michigan's Legislature has exercised its prerogative by creating a general right of contribution among joint tortfeasors. This being the case, Northwest is entirely inapposite and provides no support for the dissent's position.