4/4/24 Newsletter

Read why 1,000+ Staff have joined University Staff United

More than 1,000 UM staff, including over 800 in Student & Instructional Services, have now signed union cards to join University Staff United. We’re just days away from our Sunday, April 7th deadline, and fewer than 80 members away from the majority we’ll need to gain recognition, so every member counts. Read why so many of our coworkers are supporting USU, then sign your card now – don’t put it off!

I want to have a prosperous career at the University! I'm deeply committed to fostering a workplace that not only prioritizes the well-being of its employees but also mirrors our University's principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice! When unionized, I believe we can collaboratively work towards enhancing our working conditions, ensuring a stable and prosperous career path for all. I want to make our university a great place to work for staff, faculty, and students! Ahmed Lachheb, PhD, Sr. Learning Exp. Designer
"As a disabled, trans staff member, I am looking forward to protections USU will seek that will allow us all to be our authentic selves in the workplace. If we are regularly misgendered or navigating inaccessible environments, how can we be our best selves at work? Thanks for all your vital efforts, USU."
"I joined USU because I believe UM staff should have balanced workloads, fair wages, sensible remote work policies, and a meaningful voice in decisions that impact our working conditions. These factors are crucial for our well-being, productivity, and job satisfaction, which ultimately supports the success of UM overall. Our union can help safeguard our rights and benefits, and hold UM to a high standard of valuing and retaining employees! Caroline Cater, Behavioral Scientist, Center for Academic Innovation"
"I joined USU because I really believe in strength in numbers. Having a been a union member in the past I really believe in the strength of unions and the ability for us to be able to shift the needle on UofMs campuses." -Demetrius Shields, Community Programs Manager
I am lucky to have great relationships with work superiors at U-M, and I had great relationships with work superiors when I was in a labor union. Being in a union never set me back or stopped me from additional raises, additional benefits, and positive individual gains. It's not just about principle, it's about rebuilding the benefits I had at my last union job. That's why I'm organizing with USU.
"Whether we have a good experience working at UM is highly dependent on our supervisor and department. Joining a union means coming together to support staff across campus who do not have supportive supervisors, and who work in departments with toxic work environments. No staff should face harassment, job creep, and other forms of discrimination alone, and HR has proven time and again to function only as protection for the university, and not for the betterment of the staff. Even for those of us who love our jobs, signing our union card means standing in solidarity with all staff."
"Staff spend time and often our own resources building our skills, engage in continuing education, and take on leadership roles within our units. Yet many staff stay in the same job for years without the chance to move up. With a union, we can collectively advocate for equitable and transparent advancement opportunities, and pay increases that reflect our individual expertise and dedication to our work. As a USU organizer, I'm dedicated to helping my colleagues win the promotion process they deserve."
"I've worked at U-M for over ten years and I'd like to stay here for (at least) another ten. But having 'at will' employment in 'term limited' positions makes this prospect more difficult (and more stressful) than it needs to be. This is one reason I am joining USU; to create more long-term career stability for those of us who want to stay right where we are, for years to come."
I spent approximately 3.5 years as an Embedded Psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). My decision to leave was not made lightly. The inflexible nature of a hybrid schedule and extremely inequitable salary structure made the job exceptionally challenging. This was not made easier by the consistent experiences of disrespect and devaluation by Student Life leadership. While I feel a sense of sadness about my choice to depart, am confident that it was the correct decision. I will forever cherish my time in college counseling and working with our students.
I joined USU because I believe that U-M staff members are overlooked and undervalued. Strong unions ensure that our vital contributions to the success of the University of Michigan will never be taken for granted. Unions allow us to amplify our voices, emboldening us to advocate for our values in solidarity with the World's workers! -Lee Seramur, Digital Asset Management Architect
I've worked for the University for almost 22 years, and I'm looking to retire soon. The requirements related to health insurance are financially limiting. For those of us who are eligible to retire but are under 62, it's almost impossible due to cost of health insurance and 'no gap' requirements. Staff have referred to this dilemma as the 'golden handcuffs' because they're only staying at the University for the health insurance, even though they want to retire. I've seen the successes of the newest Librarian union, and I'd love to see staff have the same opportunity!
"When I started in my previous research position pre-COVID, we had an eight-person team. Over just a few months, three coordinators left for higher-paying positions. Their work was redistributed among the five of us who remained, but their pay was not. The working environment rapidly became unsustainable, and with no power to address those issues, I eventually had to move on as well. The ability to negotiate pay and protect against job creep will make a tremendous difference for UM staff."
"I'm a part of USU because I have worked at U-M for many years, and I have seen the personal and professional wreckage caused by toxic, unchecked management and an HR department that does not represent workers in the slightest. Having a staff union will start to give workers a voice and is the best way to collectively counter these behaviors."
My work is all about improving the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning across the university. In particular, I specialize in equity, accessibility, and racial justice. The university administration espouses these values publicly, yet behind the scenes their practices and policies are often at odds with these commitments. In many university workplaces, my colleagues who focus on DEI efforts-- including some of the most creative and committed professionals I have met-- lack the consistent material and emotional support that makes our work sustainable. Frequent staff turnover makes it difficult to make any steady progress. In this demoralizing climate, I am immensely heartened by the growth of USU, because I know that collectively we can make the university work better for all of us.
"Since I started at the University I have noticed that a staff member's access to resources, advancement, and general support is highly variable amongst schools, departments, and offices. I have seen the recent success in auto unions and the writers guilds and believe that the best way to get all staff the support they need is through collective bargaining."
"I joined USU because I think a staff union is the best opportunity we have to improve dismal wages, protect flexible work policies, and prevent job creep without adequate compensation. There are other groups on campus and at the hospital who benefit from their unions, and I believe that we as staff deserve the protection of a union and the ability to have a say in our workplace. Mackenzie Loftus, Program Assistant"
When I started working full-time at UM two years ago, I was finishing my doctorate. Now that I've defended, I want to ensure my career in publishing has room for advancement here at the university, and that our DEIA initiatives go beyond the performative. Joining a staff union means that we can collectively advocate for each other and ourselves, and protect what we love about our jobs. -Marisa Mercurio, PhD Publishing
I'm part of USU because all U-M staff deserve supportive work environments, balanced work loads, and adequate compensation. I hear from so many colleagues who are suffering from job creep, problematic supervisors, and/or stagnation in their current positions without any possible movement upwards, with raises that barely keep up with inflation. Together, as a union, we will have the power to guarantee protection from harmful management, better wages, and more fair workplaces.
"As staff, we play an important role in both the day-to-day operations and long term sustainability of the University, but unlike faculty and students we currently do not have a mechanism to advocate for our needs-- whether that's sick leave, safe working conditions, wages, or workload. A union gives us a seat at the table, so we can advocate for the things we need to better serve our community. I support unionizing because I want to be able to do my best work, to be recognized for that work, and continue to grow. -Caroline Egan, Research Associate
I joined USU because I believe that we should have a say i decisions affecting our jobs. In our current society, there are a number of factors tied to our work that directly correlate to our quality of life-- namely, health insurance. With the pandemic, some of us received flexible work agreements that changed the way we live and work for the better. USU offers a platform for us to unite with fellow workers to secure and improve these benefits, while protecting them from modification or removal at the whim of a small group of individuals.
Non-faculty staff are an essential part of the University. Yet our pay does not even come close to covering the cost of living in Ann Arbor, which means we are excluded from the very community we support every day. As someone who had the privilege of growing up in Ann Arbor but who cannot afford to live there, I joined USU because staff deserve to be paid a living wage that allows us to live where we work. -Eva Hedwig Schueler, Wolverine Services
I joined USU because staff salaries have not kept up with increasing costs of living or inflation. Leadership seems out of touch with how insufficient our income is in this changing world. This discrepancy increases turnover, which destabilizes our work environment and impacts the quality of our work. Unionizing would give more decision-making power to staff so we can anchor wage increases to real-world metrics, resulting in more fair compensation for our hard-working colleagues. Anna Harris, Project Manager
"I'm a USU member because staff members at UM are smart, creative, and dedicated to serving students-- why wouldn't the people who know the most about this university have a voice in making it better for everyone? We all know what kind of support we need to do our jobs well, and I want to share that insight with UM's decision makers." -Kayla Grant, Univ. Partnership Manager
While I take great pride in my work at U-M, my paycheck fills me with a sense of doom. I want to honor the passion I have for my field, without worry that it might be exploited, without concerns that I might be bled dry of my energy and vitality. USU is our way of standing together as workers; and too, of reaching toward what should already be ours-- be that fairer wages, stronger employee benefits/protections, and (of course) dignity through unity.
I have struggled personally and have seen coworkers struggle through financial hardships, having extra responsibilities added without compensation, and being trapped in positions with no advancement opportunities. We are the staff at the university that have some of the most on-the-ground student contact, and deserve to be compensated and treated fairly, especially because the university has the resources to do so. I know that having a Union will protect us and will only benefit us.
"I've been there for a total of eight years and I joined USU because when we have a large unionized workforce, all workers are in a stronger position to negotiate for better wages and working conditions. I wanted to do my part to bring about a future that sees labor as the dominant class in society and change things for the betterment of the working class."
University of Michigan staff are integral to every part of its operations, but it often feels that our concerns come last. We help make UM a world-class institution, yet many can't afford to live in the communities where we work. Whole departments could not operate without us, and instead of thanks, many will be rewarded by being laid off without notice. It's time for staff to have a real voice at the University of Michigan, and the only way we'll have that is with a union.