UNTF Extension United Local 1855 Ratifies Contracts
Extension workers at MSU ratified two new contracts on Monday night. This is a historic event, marking the first standalone unionized university extension worker contracts in the United States. Through these agreements, MSU Extension workers secured just cause protections, clear promotion and professional development processes, and guaranteed raises for the next three years. The stability, job security, and transparency provided by these contracts will allow extension workers to continue serving their communities with a secure future. Great work by Extension leaders across the state, the UNTF leadership team, and all the staff who worked together to make this happen over the last six years!
Higher Education Budget Proposal Correction
Friday’s Capitol Update misprinted that Gov. Whitmer proposed an increase to the Community Colleges and Universities Budget. The recommendation does not call for any increase for community college and university operations.There are additional investments proposed to expand post-secondary opportunities for students through programs like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect (including lowering the qualifying age for Reconnect from 25 to 21 in order to access a tuition-free associate’s degree or skills certificate). However, those increases come from the School Aid Fund, along with continuing to increase the amount of higher education costs covered by the SAF instead of the state’s General Fund. We will continue to monitor the budget as the House and Senate make their recommendations and will advocate for the full and equitable funding of our higher education institutions.
Join the MDP and Raise Your Voice!
The Michigan Democratic Party is holding their Spring Endorsement Convention on April 19th, 2026 in Detroit. At this convention, party members will vote for critical roles in our statewide government including: Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Board of Education, University of Michigan Board of Regents, Wayne State University Board of Governors, Michigan State University Board of Trustees and State Supreme Court. More information on the convention can be found here.
Your voice and advocacy are needed now more than ever! Our members amplify the issues working people face and ensure allies are elected to represent Labor’s values at the highest levels of our state government. YOU are the party and we need you there to make sure we show our solidarity and power.
You MUST be a MDP member at least 30 days prior to the convention to be able to vote at the convention.
Please Register Here to become a MDP Member for FREE
If you have any questions or issues, please email Jenell Mansfield at jmansfield@aftmichigan.org.
Tell Lawmakers to Protect Voting Rights and Reject SAVE 2.0
Our democracy works best when all of us, regardless of color, party, income, or zip code, have an equal say in the decisions that shape our future. That’s why we must tell our senators to vote NO on the SAVE 2.0 Act, and protect our right to vote!
Right now, President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are working to silence our voices with the SAVE America ACT and the Make Elections Great Again Act–together known as SAVE 2.0.
These bills are designed to silence peoples’ voices at the ballot box through excessive paperwork, prohibition, purges and punishments. Specific measures would:
- Abolish safe, reliable vote-by-mail systems across the country, making it harder for seniors, people with disabilities and working people to vote.
- Impose stricter photo ID requirements to cast a ballot, shutting out college students and making things more difficult for married voters who have changed their names.
- Create a centralized voter surveillance system in every state to intimidate voters.
Take action and tell your senator to vote NO on the SAVE 2.0 Act!
AFT is Fighting for Affordability
Working people are being crushed and forced out of their professions by corporate greed, soaring expenses and predatory lenders. On Feb. 18, the AFT and Protect Borrowers unveiled new findings from a survey of more than 7,500 AFT union members at a news conference, revealing the dire financial situations working families face under President Donald Trump’s failed economic policies. More than a third (36 percent) of respondents say they can’t pay all of their monthly expenditures, and the overwhelming majority (74 percent) say they live paycheck to paycheck. The AFT has launched a massive new campaign to fight back and unveiled tools members can use to fix this crisis.
March 4 Day of Action to Protect Our Kids, Our Families and Our Communities
Families are facing rising costs while public education, higher ed, healthcare and public services are being cut. Immigration raids are causing terror in schools, on campuses and in hospitals—places that should be safe for learning, caring and belonging. Educators, health professionals and public employees are being asked to do more with less. Opportunity and affordability matter. We must keep up the pressure. Now we need to collectively show the nation who we are and what we’re fighting for. Register for the March 4 nationwide day of action to protect our communities and fight for a better life for all.
Nationwide “No Kings” Day of Action – March 28
Events in Minnesota make clear what’s at stake in America, AFT President Randi Weingarten said in announcing our union’s participation in the next nationwide “No Kings” day of action on March 28. In President Donald Trump, we have “a leader who acts more like an unbridled king, as opposed to a president who abides by a legal and moral responsibility to the people of our country.” Americans are fighting back peacefully. “It’s clear that courageous, everyday citizens refuse to be intimidated by our government’s abuse of power,” Weingarten said. “We, as Americans, are at an inflection point. That’s why the AFT will take to the streets again. … It’s time for the federal government to help people forge a better life, not to create fear. We will stand up and protect our schools, our hospitals and our neighbors.”
Contribute to the AFT Michigan PAC Today
AFT Michigan fights for our members, students, patients 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!
Upcoming Professional Development Workshop
AFT Michigan
Trauma-Informed Care in PreK-14
Saturday, March 7, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
via Zoom
This workshop will introduce attendees to what trauma-informed care is in the educational setting, emphasizing key inside and outside the practices that help address student trauma.
Attendees will learn practical strategies to create a safe and supportive learning environment. While also promoting emotional well-being for both educators and learners.
CARE: Community Awareness, Readiness and Education
Join this community for resources on preparedness, well-being and building supportive school environments—including guidance for those facing immigration enforcement and ICE actions.
CARE stands for Community Awareness, Readiness, and Education. This community is a space for educators, union leaders, families, and community partners to find tools, examples, and reference materials that support awareness, preparedness, and care when immigration enforcement actions or other moments of uncertainty may affect our schools and neighborhoods.
Happy Black History Month
Celebrate Black History throughout the year! Teach about Black voices, innovations and leadership with this expansive preK-12 collection. Explore stories of activism, resilience, art, music, science and civil rights—past and present. AFT ShareMyLesson has curated lessons that foster critical reflection and offer students multiple entry points into Black history.
Upcoming AFT Webinar – Black and Jewish America: A Conversation with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Join this March 10 webinar to examine the intertwined histories of Black and Jewish communities in America in this timely conversation with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gain insights into identity and historical understanding.
In solidarity,
Terrence Martin
President
