Posts tagged Michigan
Nurses file unfair labor charges against Teamsters Local 332 amid ongoing strike
April 22, 2026 // According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), some nurses have filed unfair labor charges against their union, Teamsters Local 332. Charges were filed on March 31, April 10, and April 14. They claim the Union violated the National Labor Relations Act, and they claim a violation of employee rights specific to a picketing or strike action as well as allegations of related harassment and coercion.
MEA makes unsupported claims about school funding, student performance
April 22, 2026 // But Michigan is one of many states where higher spending has not translated into better academic outcomes. “State spending on K-12 schools has grown nearly 35% over the past decade,” said Molly Macek, education policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Yet student achievement in reading and math has declined over the same period, she said. The way districts spend taxpayer dollars is more important than total funding, Macek added.
UAW unionizing attempt defeated at Axalta plant in Mount Clemens
April 17, 2026 // An attempt to organize a UAW union for nearly 400 employees at the Axalta Coating Systems plant failed Wednesday in a somewhat close vote. The tally to certify the UAW at the plant was defeated by 51 votes, 184 to 133, excluding 34 or challenged ballots that were not resolved because even a 100% success rate for the union would not have made a difference, according to UAW officials. Voting took place Tuesday and Wednesday. “It didn’t go well for us, we ended up losing it, unfortunately,” a disappointed Region I Assistant Director Ray Pecoraro said Thursday morning. “It was an unfortunate thing. It surprised us as a collective group.”
Clean Water Action begins nationwide unionization effort; Ann Arbor, East Lansing staff included
April 15, 2026 // The unionization effort is supported by two existing unions in The NewsGuild-CWA, the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild Local 37002 and the Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39521. Jen Schlicht, a member of the Organizing Committee for the Clean Water Guild, wrote that the decision to launch a unionization effort followed similar movements by other environmental organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Resources Defense Council, as well as the “transitional momentum” of the organization’s leadership shift from former CEO Jeff Carter to the new president, Lynn Thorp.
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.