Tag: Unionization of U of M Graduate Student Research Assistants

Graduate student research assistants at the University of Michigan who do not want to belong to a union have some high-profile allies who have kept a low profile.

The Mackinac Center has obtained a confidential letter to U of M Provost Philip Hanlon expressing a "deep and collective concern about the potential negative impacts that would result from the unionization of the University's graduate student research assistants."

Other media reports also indicate MERC's decision has clearly not derailed the GEO's desire to bring more students into its public employee union. GEO President Samantha Montgomery told Ann Arbor.com on Aug. 8: "This is not the end," and, "we're hoping to continue to keep working with the university to reach a finalized decision."

Montgomery, however, also acknowledges the main problem with her group's efforts: MERC's 1981 declaration that the GSRA's are not public employees. She was cited in AnnArbor.com as saying that the GEO was "still figuring out how graduate student research assistants would be worked into the union... given the (MERC's) ruling that they are not public employees and cannot unionize."

Patrick Wright, director of the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation says the GEO can move ahead with an election. However, any resulting unionization would be non-binding. Therefore, he says the motives behind MERC's cooperation to help the GEO's seemingly stubborn drive to push non-public employees into its union are suspect: "Why is MERC helping with a non-binding election?"

The university is also apparently working with the GEO to eventually hold an election. The GEO's website says the following: "GEO plans to work with the University of Michigan to set the details of the election."

Wright says any election that happens should raise red flags about cost, if nothing else.