Eastern Michigan faculty strike disrupts second week of classes, EMU sues faculty union over strike
More than 50 people marched in a picket line in front of Welch Hall on Eastern Michigan University’s campus Wednesday morning. The EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (EMU-AAUP) said it needs a fair contract. (Bridge photo by Isabel Lohman)
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan)
Eastern Michigan University faculty did not teach classes Wednesday after voting Tuesday night to strike. The EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (EMU-AAUP) contends the university is dragging its feet on negotiations, while the university said the decision to strike disrupts students’ education.
The union’s contract expired at the end of August, and 91% of the members who attended Tuesday’s meeting voted to strike. Over 50 people marched in a picket line in front of Welch Hall across from the Ypsilanti Water Tower Wednesday morning. One key point of contention is how much employees should pay for health care.
“I was a little frustrated getting to class and no professor [was] there. But then I kind of stepped back for a minute, and I realized that they’re fighting for their rights here. So I was supportive of that,” Ella Seale, a sophomore student who commutes from Canton, told Bridge Michigan.
Matthew Kirkpatrick, associate professor of English and lead negotiator for the EMU-AAUP, said he feels supported by students who understand that “our working conditions are their learning conditions.
“We wouldn’t do this if we didn’t feel like we had to. I think the administration had the power to stop this in the sense that if we had a fair contract, we wouldn’t be doing this. So this is a decision we don’t take lightly. “
“The union’s call for a strike impacts one group on Eastern’s campus more than any other — the University’s students,” Walter Kraft, University vice president for communications, said in a statement Tuesday night. “It is unfortunate that rather than continue to follow the mediator’s path, with active negotiations still underway, the faculty union is asking its members to walk out and disrupt students’ education just seven days into the semester.”
Kirkpatrick said he did not know how many classes were canceled across the campus. The union has 517 members.
“All of us got into this because we love to be in the classroom. And we love teaching, and we love to share the knowledge that we’ve gained through our research and creative work,” he said. “[B]ut at the end of the day, we have families that we need to support. We have lives. You need to live. We’re in a highly inflationary time right now. And we need to be compensated for the work we do.”
Andon Millner, a freshman nursing student from Allen Park whose nursing class was canceled Wednesday morning, said he would likely strike too. But as a student, it is disappointing to not have class.
“I mean, it kind of sucks. I kind of like going to classes. And like, I actually want to be a nurse. So, if I can’t learn to be a nurse, then it kind of sucks.”
Tricia McTague, associate professor of sociology and negotiating team member, said the union needs a fair contract since it will affect other unions on campus.
She said she juggled taking care of her 4-year-old daughter for 15 months while schools were closed and her partner, an essential worker, worked outside the home.
“My priorities were: take care of my kid. Take care of my students. And now …it’s my turn to be taken care of the way that I should be. We have sacrificed so much over the past two years, worked harder than we ever have before to support students in crisis. And now it is our turn.”
The union and university administration were expected to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to continue negotiations.
“I am concerned about how long it will go on, and I hope that they come to a resolution soon,” Seale said.
Eastern Michigan University is asking a Washtenaw County Circuit Court judge to order faculty back to work.
EMU filed the lawsuit on Wednesday. The EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (EMU-AAUP) contends the university is dragging its feet on negotiations, while the university said the strike disrupts students’ education.
The university announced its filing around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
In a statement, the union said it would file a “forceful response.”
“Our strike against the EMU administration’s repeated, illegal, unfair labor practices will be settled at the bargaining table, not in a courtroom,” said union President Mohamed El-Sayed, a professor of engineering at EMU. “Instead of filing lawsuits, which have no merit. EMU administrators should focus their efforts on good-faith bargaining so we can reach a fair agreement which supports our students.”
On Wednesday morning, about 40 union members marched in a picket line in front of Welch Hall, across from the Ypsilanti Water Tower, while about a dozen people stood by in support of the initiative. The union has 517 members. One key point of contention is how much employees should pay for health care.
The university’s court filing claims the strike is illegal and harmful to students.
“This strike is causing and will cause EMU permanent and irreparable injuries for which there is no adequate remedy at law,” the complaint states. It also alleges other adverse effects, including:
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- “Hindering, altering, and delaying the academic profess of EMU’s over 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students which could ultimately result in delayed graduation”
- Delaying financial aid disbursement
- Possible loss of state, regional and national accreditations
- Loss of reputation that “could lead to enrollment decline”
- Increased anxiety amongst students with uncertainty about schedules
- Inability to provide timely mental health services and fill-instructors for student disability accommodation requests
- “Unavailability of faculty advisors to over 200 student groups”
- Lost of tuition, room and board revenue
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