Bill to ban grad student unionization moves to Senate floor

LANSING, Mich. — The Senate Government Operations Committee has approved a bill that would block the unionization of graduate student research assistants at state-funded universities, according to The Associated Press. The vote was 3-2 along party lines and the bill now moves to the Senate floor.

According to the AP, the bill comes in response to an attempt to unionize by a group of graduate student research assistants at the University of Michigan. The bill seeks to put into law a 1981 decision by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission that found grad students were not employees and therefore not eligible to unionize.

SOURCE:

The Associated Press, “Michigan bill would ban some grad student unions,” Feb. 21, 2012

FURTHER READING:

Michigan Capitol Confidential, “Bill To Stop Graduate Student Unionization Moves Ahead,” Feb. 22, 2012