Michigan Grad Student Unions Ban Advances To State House

LANSING, Mich. -- The Republican-led Michigan Senate has approved a bill that would block unionization efforts by graduate student research assistants at public universities.

The measure was passed Wednesday by a 26-12 vote along party lines. The legislation advances to the Republican-led House.

The legislation specifies that graduate student research assistants would not be considered public employees as related to collective bargaining rights.

The measure comes as University of Michigan graduate student research assistants attempt to unionize. That case is pending before an administrative judge after the Michigan Employment Relations Commission last year reaffirmed a 1981 decision that bars research assistants from banding together.

Republicans say the legislation simply puts those decisions into law. Democrats say the proposal undermines collective bargaining rights.

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Senate Bill 971.

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Comments

[BPCentrisAmerican]

10:13 AM on 02/24/2012

The right is going after young people, there going after their voting rights, now this. This path is unsustainable and will drive them to the Democrats, in the same way the Vietnam War and LBJ drove me and my friends to the Republicans.

[MrUnlimited]

11:00 PM on 02/26/2012

Young people (especially grad students) are already overwhelmingly progressive.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:46 AM on 02/24/2012

I love the way the right wing big foots people's 1st Amendment rights, than preaches small government. The fall of the GOP is a real possibility, because now there attacking the liberty of young people along with everyone else. College graduates almost never end up in union jobs, it's more difficult for them to understand why unions are needed. The far right's assault on workers will make it perfectly clear to them.

[bcwarp]

08:56 AM on 02/24/2012

Why isn't the Republican legislature passing bills to stimulate the Michigan economy? By encouraging grad students to go to another state, will Michigan see a brain drain?

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:46 AM on 02/24/2012

Because that's not there to do list before the voters show them the door in 2012.

[mcvet]

08:34 AM on 02/24/2012

These crazies need to take a few History Classes... the more you try to STOP something the more it's likely to happen. People who want a Union will not just quit because some Corporate Puppet passes a law.

[djaikins]

05:43 AM on 02/24/2012

I'm embarrassed to say that I am from a state that continues to chip away at workers' rights, and coincidentally enough it is being done by a republican governor, a republican House and a republican Senate. I voted for none of them.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:48 AM on 02/24/2012

That's OK, they will be voted eventually, Americans don't like extremist tyrants.

[fenriswolf26]

10:45 AM on 02/24/2012

I'm with you on that.

[Assumed Name]

03:25 AM on 02/24/2012

UM has a GSA (graduate student assitant union) or some such for TAs (teaching assistants)...would that be disbanned by this legislation should it pass, I wonder?

[Toka313]

12:01 AM on 03/01/2012

They would not be disbanded.

[Assumed Name]

04:39 AM on 03/01/2012

That's good to know.

[blitznstitch]

09:01 PM on 02/23/2012

why do they care about research assistants?

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:48 AM on 02/24/2012

Because they hate people.

[murfiani39]

07:47 PM on 02/23/2012

michigan whats up get out those repubs and lets create a great country more unions, national healthcare, limit huge profits and gains and tax the 1% until we get back what they have taken away fro the past 30 years

[eceresa]

06:35 PM on 02/23/2012

The Michigan legislature would probably legalize sweatshops right now. And Snyder would sign it.

[troyrobertdavid]

04:26 PM on 02/23/2012

The Republicans hate any attempt of people to join voices with eachother. They like us divided because that makes us weaker and more easily taken advantage of.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:53 AM on 02/24/2012

The far right is the minority, with a shrinking demographic, only 20% of Michigan's population think letting the auto companies go bankrupt was good idea, even Snyder won't comment on it. This is a really bad political move by the right and they will pay dearly for it.

[GHY1]

04:20 PM on 02/23/2012

If they meet off campus or online how can they prevent that. Government can't restrict where you meet

[not so sure]

04:38 AM on 02/24/2012

they certainly will be listening...

[BPCentrisAmerican]

09:58 AM on 02/24/2012

It's time to spit in the right's eye, and this is the perfect place to start. Grad students bring a positive energy to states, if their attacked they won't stay after graduation and Michigan won't be able convince out of state talent to stay, or keep in state talent.

[KsAPigButt]

01:07 PM on 02/23/2012

UnConstitutional

[not so sure]

04:39 AM on 02/24/2012

unconstitutional is the new reality in Amerika...better learn to deal with it

[BPCentrisAmerican]

10:00 AM on 02/24/2012

Revolution in these states is the only way, get into the streets, vote these fascist out, look what happened in Virginia this week.

[paulwl]

12:30 PM on 02/23/2012

When are these old white men gonna learn, that sooner or later(more sooner) the rebuking of these slave-minded ways are making them no longer acceptable for political office. Matter-of-fact, we are sitting on the verge of another FDR era! Each and every election cycle the run on issues, then change once in office. WE THE PEOPLE are tired and will not be fooled again. The Nov. 2012 election will be a watershed year. Remember old men, we 'young folk' will be your care givers and wet towels HURT and leave no finger prints. Also, we have minds that never, ever forget! Your day is coming . . . .get paranoid!

[Mkenact]

12:57 PM on 02/23/2012

FDR opposed unions for public employees.

[Tsvi1]

02:02 PM on 02/23/2012

FDR lived in the 20s and 30s, most ppl were against unions and protests were violently crushed in many cases. Seems kinda ridiculous to bring him up, libs dont consider FDR like repubs consider Regan.

[AnthropologistAmongApes]

02:34 PM on 02/23/2012

But he implemented a plan for parity with private sector wages and laws against political firing; both of which the right dismantled beginning with Reagan. He did not oppose union-equivalent protections for public employees, contrary to your inference.

[indyvet]

12:22 PM on 02/23/2012

I thought The United States Of America is a union.

[djaurand]

12:37 PM on 02/23/2012

It is, but it wasn't recognized as by Britain and other foundering nations of the colonies for a while.
There's nothing that in this law will stop the Grad Students from organizing into a union, it just stops them from being recognized by the universities.
In the 19020s & 30s, the busineeses didn't want to accept the unions either, but if there's a true need for the student's having a union, they will prevail eventually. If its just a way to get more money from the universities while going to school, the movement will fail

[Just a passerby]

02:20 PM on 02/23/2012

It probably doesn't have much to do with money - stipends are set when the student is accepted - and more to do with working conditions.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

11:29 AM on 02/24/2012

I thought Americans were free do what they want within the law, not so much on the fascist right, they just write laws for ideological reasons and people are getting it now.