GEU Wins Organizing Access at MSU
Congratulations to the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State University, AFT Local 6196, on winning back access to new hire orientations at the university wide orientation event and any department/program level meetings attended by TA’s as part of a contract extension signed earlier this month. Such access has been denied since 2018 and is a vital part of signing up new members at the local. This win comes soon after also getting back access to membership data MSU HR had also been refusing to give to the union. The election of a labor friendly Board of Trustees has paved the way for a more union friendly climate resulting in our ability to get these basic rights back.
AFT Michigan Education Policy Conference – May 20
Are you an AFT Michigan member who cares about our schools, colleges, and the students we serve? Join us at our Education Policy Conference on May 20, 2023 at Fairlane North, UM-Dearborn. Participants will select two issue briefings to attend in the morning and meet within Higher Ed and K-12 constituency groups to discuss our policy goals moving forward in the afternoon.
Issue Briefing Topics:
- Academic freedom and a pro-higher ed legislative agenda
- Creating community schools
- Green & healthy schools & colleges – Good for students, workers, and communities
- How our decentralized system of higher ed impacts our efforts to increase access to full-time gainful employment in Michigan
- Michigan’s School Finance Research Collaborative K-12 budget framework
- Pathways to achieving free college
- Protecting BIPOC and LGBTQ students in K-12 & Higher Ed
- Rebuilding MPSERS to ensure a secure retirement for all educators
- “School support staff to teacher” career ladders
Click here to register:
Current and Past LEO Members Celebrate 20 Years
Last Friday night, the Lecturers’ Employee Organization, Local 6244 at the University of Michigan celebrated twenty years of solidarity and major gains for non-tenure track faculty. Organized in 2003, LEO has been led by three presidents–Bonnie Halloran, Ian Robinson and current president Kirsten Herold— and hundreds and hundreds of union activists. The local has built its power by adhering to the organizing model of strong member engagement in decision making, bargaining, demonstrating and signing up new members. Congratulations LEO.
UMMAP Celebrates Diagnostic Imaging Unit Recognition
Friday night was busy for union celebrations in Washtenaw County as, along with the LEO 20th Anniversary, we celebrated the recognition of the first bargaining unit within the United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, AFT Local 6739, made up of more than 900 workers in Diagnostic Imaging – from MRI techs to people who work in sleep labs. It was a really great gathering of people who do amazing work and are building a strong local — it’s really a pleasure welcoming more and more healthcare workers to our union!
Henry Ford Federation Member Honored by Mayor
Congratulations Steve Glazer on being honored as the Dearborn Arts Educator of the Year as part of the Dearborn Mayor’s Arts Awards. An activist with the Henry Ford Community College Federation of Teachers, Local 1650, Steve is a faculty member in the College’s Ceramics Department. Over the years, Steve has shown why he’s so deserving of this award, serving as Faculty Chair in the Fine and Performing Arts Department and working to establish articulation agreements with Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University. He has produced incredible exhibitions as Director of Exhibitions for the HFC Sisson Gallery and is currently involved in a major Technology Improvement Fund (TIF) project to renovate the gallery. Steve is passionate about his work and dedicated to the success of his students.
Unemployment Workshop – April 25
AFT Michigan will offer an unemployment workshop on April 25 at 1 pm. The workshop is a practical guide for AFT Michigan members to learn about how to navigate our state’s unemployment system. The workshop will focus on the challenges faced by non-tenured/ fixed term faculty in higher education. There will be a question and answer session at the end of the workshop.
The link to register is below:
Contribute to the AFT Michigan PAC Today
AFT Michigan fights for our members, students and communities all year round and we need your help. Can you donate $1 a week to aid us in this fight? Please visit the AFT Michigan website to contribute and make a big difference in protecting public education and building a better Michigan future!
In solidarity
David Hecker
President
