FAQ

What is a union?

A union is a group of workers united together to make decisions about conditions affecting their work. Unions work to advance respect, security, and economic justice in the workplace and social justice across communities.

Establishing a union is a legally recognized process that requires the support of a majority of workers in a bargaining unit. Once a union is certified, it becomes the representative for all of the members within the bargaining unit. This representational authority means we can engage in collective bargaining (i.e. negotiating a contract) with management to determine our working conditions.

Why are we building a union?

We’ve spent the past three years in conversations with thousands of our colleagues, and we’ve heard many of the same needs and desires again and again:

  • pay that reflect the value of our work, that keeps up with the increasing cost of living, and that’s equitable across all three of our campuses;
  • reasonable workloads that allow us to perform at our best, and freedom from ever-growing responsibilities without compensation;
  • real opportunities for career advancement and meaningful rewards for experience
  • greater support for families and caregivers;
  • fair policies for flexible and remote work, grounded in genuine operational needs and trust for staff;
  • protection from discrimination and mistreatment and the security to stand up for ourselves and for one another.

Most of all, we want a real seat at the table where decisions are made about our work.

Who will be included in this union?

University Staff United is working to build a union for all regular, non-supervisory* staff across all three campuses and Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan (UM). A union for UM staff will unite us into one collective voice that can effectively advocate for improvements and greater protection in the workplace.

Our effort to organize is led by UM staff members who are dedicated to creating a new union at UM. We are committed to representing the needs and concerns of the 15,000 non-unionized staff. We believe that fostering strong relationships and practicing democratic decision-making will enhance our power in the workplace. The group of staff who have taken up the task of building our union is called the Organizing Committee.

Our union will include all 15,000 non-supervisory staff across Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses, as well as Michigan Medicine, divided into different bargaining units based on job function (also referred to as Job Families or Units). Our first bargaining unit includes Libraries and Museums, Academic and Student Services, Instructional Services, and the Arts, a diverse group of ~1,800 people who make education possible at the University of Michigan. Each unit will have its own contract to allow us to delve deeper into the unique needs of our jobs.

Both exempt and non-exempt, full-time and regular part-time staff are included in USU, including those in term-limited positions, those funded by grants, and staff in semi-autonomous departments like UMS and the Merit Network. Temps (limited to less than one year in the position) are not eligible under Michigan labor law — but if you have been kept in a “temp” position for an extended period of time, reach out to us!

*Supervisors and the people they supervise can’t be in the same union due to labor laws. However, supervisors may form their own union. You’re considered a supervisor if you have the power to hire/fire, discipline staff, or you approve timesheets for staff. If you’re one of the many people who is ‘sort of’ a supervisor, or have questions about your eligibility, reach out to an organizer and we can check your eligibility.

Who will run our union?

We will. This is a democratic union and all major decisions will be made by us, members of our union! We will nominate and elect our officers and stewards. We will vote on our contracts and dues.

What could we win? How can this benefit me?

Unions at UM have already made huge wins in areas such as job security, wages, protections from uncompensated increases in workload (also known as “job creep”), career advancement, converting many term-appointed employees to permanent positions, securing retirement benefits, and more.

Here is a incomplete list of union gains at UM. Imagine what else we could accomplish!

What is the process?

Once enough people (at least a majority) have signed up to become members, we will petition management to recognize us as a bargaining unit.

Under the neutrality resolution passed by the Board of Regents, signing our union cards counts as our vote YES to have our bargaining units recognized. Here is the full text of the resolution.

What about dues?

We, the members, will set our dues rate when we establish our constitution, after our first bargaining unit is recognized. Based on other AFT-affiliated unions in higher education, we expect our dues to be between 1.5% and 2% of our pay. 

We’ll only start paying dues after our union is recognized and we have successfully bargained a contract that we’ve voted to accept; so we’ll pay our dues out of the raises we negotiate, not out of our current (insufficient) salaries. We won’t vote for a contract that doesn’t cover our dues.

What are dues used for?

Dues pay for things like our union staff, legal costs, office space and other necessary expenses. Dues legally can’t go to political candidates; political donations would come from a separate PAC, unrelated to dues.

How might our relationship with management change?

It’s difficult to say, but in many cases, supervisors like the structure and stability a union contract brings. A union contract provides a clear grievance process, so both employees and management have specific steps to follow in the case of disagreements.

Will I face retaliation for being involved in the union?

No. It is illegal for management to retaliate against or intimidate workers for organizing a union. In addition, the UM Regents have passed a neutrality agreement asserting that supervisors must remain neutral regarding unionization.

Additionally, National labor law protects our right to discuss unionization during work, using work equipment, and during working hours.

I’ve heard bad things about unions. How do we know this will have a positive impact?

Ultimately, unions are composed of the people that make them up, and union policies are set by the members themselves. In other words, our union is what we make it. We encourage staff to join one of our committees and come to meetings to bring up any issues they may have to ensure their voice is included.

How does the repeal of Right to Work affect us?

The repeal of Right to Work won’t affect us at all. So called Right to Work laws ban the collection of dues from people who choose not to join a union. In 2023, Michigan became the first state to repeal a right to work law, but it only affects private sector workers. Because we’re public employees, we can’t be required to join a union or to pay agency fees, due to the 2018 Supreme Court ruling Janus vs AFSCME, which supersedes state law.

Is USU affiliated with other unions?

USU is affiliated with AFT-Michigan. See our About page for more information.

Some UM benefits, such as the tuition assistance program, specify that only non-bargained-for employees are eligible. Will we lose those benefits?

We will not lose these benefits if we specify so in our first contract! Furthermore, once we’re recognized as a union, management cannot make unilateral changes to wages, benefits or working conditions. They have to bargain with us first.

Who is eligible for benefits and salary increases under a contract?

All employees in the bargaining unit receive everything covered in the contract. At this point, it is important to emphasize that we need everyone to sign a card in order to reach a majority. There is no guarantee that we get to reach negotiations to negotiate that raise unless a majority sign up. Free riding is not an option at this point because we don’t yet have a majority!

If I sign a card, will my name be public?

No, only the Organizing Committee sees the cards until we file for recognition. At that point, a neutral third party will count the cards to ascertain that we have a majority. The only time management can see who is a member is after we request payroll deductions of dues, which will be after we’ve ratified a contract.

Is there a required time commitment to become a member?

No, while it is important to have an engaged membership base, you are not required to attend union meetings.

What happens once our union is recognized?

Here are the first steps in preparing for bargaining once each bargaining unit is recognized:

  • Form a bargaining committee. The bargaining committee is typically open to volunteers, should ideally be rather large, and is responsible for leading/facilitating the process of platform development. Platform development involves member surveys and interviews, membership meetings, research on current conditions at UM, reading other unions’ contracts and talking with them about what is and isn’t working, etc. and it results in a proposed platform, which is a list of issues we aim to address in bargaining. It’s common at that point for the whole membership to vote on the proposed platform, either at a membership meeting or in a referendum.
  • At roughly the same time that we are approving the platform, we’ll hold elections for the bargaining team, the people who actually go to the bargaining table to negotiate with management. Not everyone on the bargaining committee will serve on the team. We will want to make sure that the bargaining team is representative of the whole membership.

What is the decision-making process once the union is recognized?

Many of the details about which decisions are made by which bodies will be spelled out in our constitution, which we’ll vote on once the first bargaining unit is recognized. Generally, the biggest and most impactful decisions are made by referendum of the whole membership. That includes changes to the constitution (which also sets the dues rate), ratification of a contract when the bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement, and authorization of a strike. In all those cases, we always want to aim for an overwhelming consensus. Many other decisions are made by committees, ideally based on participation or feedback from the broader membership. USU’s draft constitution sets up a representative body consisting of stewards elected from each building, and that body makes most of the medium-scale decisions.

What can I do to help?

A great way to get involved is to join one of our committees. Whether you’re interested in having conversations with staff, planning events, or helping with our socials, we have plenty of opportunities for folks to get involved.

We want to hear from every UM staff member. Share your story with us so we can get a better understanding of the main issues impacting staff.

Email UMstaffsolidarity@gmail.com to get in touch!