Posts tagged Michigan
DIA budget hearing: About 200 employees unionize
April 4, 2026 // Proposed fiscal year 2027 budget: $0 from the City of Detroit. DIA’s current budget is $45.5 million, with revenue generated through ticket sales, fundraising and a tri-county property tax millage. The DIA functions as an independent nonprofit since the city’s bankruptcy.
Opinion: Unions are on a comeback. Americans are paying the price.
April 2, 2026 // So far, the union comeback has mostly been confined to courthouses and state legislatures. Membership hardly budged last year, rising from 9.9 percent of U.S. workers in 2024 to 10 percent in 2025. Yet if more states continue to mandate collective bargaining for public-sector workers — or decide to repeal right-to-work statutes for the private sector — rates can be expected to rise in those jurisdictions. If workers at a unionized shop are forced to pay dues regardless of their membership status, more will opt in as the financial incentive to remain unorganized slips away.
University of Michigan Graduate Student Researchers Vote to Join Union
April 2, 2026 // Over 2,200 graduate student research assistants join the Graduate Employees Organization Local 3550 of the American Federation of Teachers.
As Michigan’s childcare costs rise, workers debate risks of unionizing
March 31, 2026 // Instead of childcare workers unionizing against owners, the model most commonly seen in childcare unions across the country is owners unionizing against their state, as Henderson is advocating for — specifically, childcare owners who receive state reimbursement payments for care they provide low-income families and therefore can be considered state employees. The purpose is to get more robust and permanent public dollars through contract negotiation to fund things providers say they can’t currently afford because of limits on their revenue, like higher wages, insurance benefits, and overall more stability for the struggling industry. Critics of this model say childcare providers shouldn't be considered public employees just because they receive payments from the state or put in a position where they may feel they have to pay union dues. They also say the fractured layout of the industry doesn't lend itself well to unionization and could create division among already under-resourced owners and staff.
Michigan Prevailing Wage Act: Certified Payroll Record Online Submission Update
March 21, 2026 // As discussed in our previous article, the Prevailing Wage Act, 2023 PA 10 (“Act”), became effective in Michigan on February 13, 2024, applying to certain state-funded projects with a bid acceptance date, on or after that date. As an update to the Act, on July 23, 2024, Senate Bill 571 (“SB 571” or the “Amendment”) was signed into law, adding registration and certification requirements, as well as the inclusion of both public and private energy facility projects, with applicable steps summarized in our most recent update.
Special Legal Notice for Michigan-Based Corewell Health Nurses Facing Teamsters Strike Threats
March 19, 2026 // In short, nurses who want to work during a union-ordered strike should ensure that they are not members of the union before they work during a strike. Unions can only fine their voluntary members for working during a strike. If an employee is not a union member, union officials have no power to fine or otherwise discipline him or her. Employees have a legal right not to be a member of the Teamsters or any other union. Employees who are union members, or are unsure as to what they might have signed, have a legal right to resign their membership at any time. So if an employee who joined a union wants to work during a strike, the employee can resign from the union before returning to work.
Teamsters nurses authorize strike against Michigan-based Corewell Health East
March 18, 2026 // Corewell Health East nurses, who are represented by the Teamsters union, voted on Tuesday to authorize a strike against the health system over their contract. According to the union, the vote from 10,000 nurses at nine hospitals and campuses received 90% approval for authorization. The union says that the nurses, who have been discussing their contract since June 2025, demand a safe nurse-to-patient ratio, fair wages, affordable health insurance and better workplace safety.
Corewell Health Niles nurses vote against joining Teamsters union
March 11, 2026 // According to results posted by the National Labor Relations Board, 82 nurses voted against joining the Teamsters union while 47 voted in favor. A total of 152 employees were eligible to vote in the Feb. 26 election.
UAW Local 2325 Commits to a Strike Vote to Fight ICE—What Can Other Locals Do?
February 26, 2026 // "legal service workers of UAW Local 2325 passed a resolution to have a strike authorization vote in their local of 3,500 workers should ICE escalate its activities in New York City.
Michigan Democratic Senate hopefuls tout their union bona fides
February 12, 2026 // Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County public health official, each said they would champion workers rights and manufacturing if elected to the Senate in what’s expected to be one of the most closely watched races this year. Support from autoworkers could be crucial in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. Senate Democrats need to net four seats to win control of the chamber, and defending Peters’ seat is key to that effort.