AFT Michigan Members at “No Kings” Day of Action – March 28
It was great to see so many AFT Michigan members out Saturday at the hundreds of No Kings actions across the state!
UM Research Assistants Vote Union Yes!
Graduate Student Research Assistants (GSRAs) at the University of Michigan voted overwhelmingly to join GEO/AFT 3550 in a union election supervised by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission last week. This is the culmination of many years of organizing by GSRAs at UM since the 1970s. More recently, when UM GSRAs filed for an election in 2011, right-wing groups stalled the process with frivolous legal challenges and the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature passed a bill prohibiting collective bargaining by GSRAs. We were finally able to overturn that unjust law after electing a labor-backed “trifecta” in 2024, which spurred this resurgent organizing drive. Congratulations and “welcome back” to AFT Michigan!
AFT Michigan at the Hunter College Conference on Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions
Our union was well-represented at the 53rd annual Hunter College Conference on Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, AFT Michigan leaders Meredith Kahn (LEO GLAM) and Eric Rader (Henry Ford FT) presented on the rapidly evolving topic of bargaining AI language into CBAs on two separate panels: one focused on four-year institutions and the other on community colleges. As moderators pointed out, AFT MI higher education unions are at the forefront of this issue. Currently, only six contracts nationwide include language on AI; USU 284 at UM is one of them, and several other locals are currently bargaining language.
AFTMI attendees also learned more about how unions across the country are fighting back through bargaining regarding growing concerns about the loss of free speech and academic freedom, higher ed funding cuts, and attacks on immigrant students and faculty. This conference, attended by labor and management, provides a space where both sides can discuss current issues and work toward shared understandings and goals. Management from several Michigan higher education institutions attended and actively participated in discussions and presentations with an intent to find common ground on these important issues.
Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Webinars and Learning Opportunities for Higher Education!
Join other AFT Higher Ed members and leaders to learn from one another on key issues facing our colleges and universities, our students and our communities. Please join these informal discussion spaces. Leaders will share resources, answer questions and provide a forum for affiliate members to engage with one another.
Building Our Movement: Preparing for May Day – April 7, 2 pm EDT
Webinar – Doxing Defense: Taking Charge of Social Media – April 8, 4 pm EDT
Webinar – Foundations of Free Speech and Academic Freedom – April 9, 4 pm EDT
What to Do When the Consultants Come to Campus – April 22, 2 pm EDT
Join Labor@Wayne 206 Dave Miller Memorial Lecture: Labor is Under Heavy Attack – April 2
Labor@Wayne is hosting the annual Dave Miller Memorial Lecture on Thursday, April 2, at St. Andrew’s Hall, Wayne State University’s historic, on-campus church. The Dave Miller Memorial Lecture coincides with Labor@Wayne’s 80th Anniversary and is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served when the event begins at 3:00PM and ends at 7:00PM.
This year’s Dave Miller Lecturer is Steven Greenhouse. Steven Greenhouse is an award-winning writer and journalist who covered labor, union, and workplace issues for The New York Times from 1983 to 2014. His talk is titled “Labor is Under Heavy Attack.” He is the author of The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker (2009), which won the Hillman Prize for Journalism and Social Justice. His most recent book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor (2019), recounts the victories and defeats in American labor history, while at the same time offering strategies for the movement’s revitalization.
Please RSVP for the event: https://rsvp.wayne.edu/dave-miller-memorial-lecture-and-labor-wayne-80th-anniversary
Michigan School for Women Workers 2026
Registration is now open for Michigan School for Women Workers, CLCS’s longest running labor education conference!
This year’s theme is Sisters In Solidarity: Leading, Organizing, Rising. The conference will be held at Somerset Inn (Troy, MI), April 16-19.
Register today, before your preferred workshop fills up!! Check out our Workshop Spotlight below! Visit the MSWW26 page on our website, where you can register online or download a printable registration form.
Tell Us How You’re #PublicSchoolProud
Join our Public School Proud campaign to celebrate the everyday moments that make public schools the heart of our communities. Whether it’s literacy nights, science fairs or football games under the lights, these moments remind us that public schools don’t just educate; they unite us and give every child a shot at a better life. Every week, we lift up great things happening in public schools. Share what makes you public school proud here.
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!
Check Out Our New AFT Michigan Logo Store
