The Graduate Employees’ Organization’s decision to strike has moved the University of Michigan to take actions that university leaders say are necessary to ensure U-M can continue to meet its educational mission.
On March 30, the university filed a complaint in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleging breach of contract by the union for striking, despite its agreement not to do so while the current contract is in effect. U-M is seeking an injunction ordering the striking workers to return to work because the strike is illegal under Michigan law.
That complaint followed an unfair labor practice charge that U-M filed March 29 with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission asking the agency to find GEO in violation of the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act and order the union to stop the illegal strike.
GEO went on strike March 29, about four weeks before its contract with U-M is set to expire May 1. In a March 24 email to the university community following the union’s strike authorization vote, President Santa J. Ono and Provost Laurie McCauley said U-M “will take appropriate lawful actions to enable the continued delivery of our educational mission in the event of a work disruption.”
Besides the steps already taken or planned, actions could include stopping the deduction of union dues and not paying striking graduate student instructors and graduate student staff assistants for time they do not work, the university leaders said.
The university and the union have...
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