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Striking U of M grad workers remain defiant as contract talks continue
Following weekend commencement ceremonies during which striking University of Michigan graduate student workers continued to protest, contract talks, with the assistance of a state mediator, are scheduled to resume this week. The strike by the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) AFT Local 3550 began March 29, with economic issues the main point of contention. The union, […]
Bills would overhaul statue of limitations for sexual assault, establish Survivors Bill of Rights
Lawmakers on Thursday announced they are reintroducing laws they say will help fix Michigan’s broken process for sexual assault crimes. State Rep. Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Twp.) led the announcement, joined by fellow legislators, along with sexual assault survivors and advocates for criminal justice reform. Similar bills had been introduced in previous legislative sessions, but received […]
Union, state rep. say Amtrak is planning to close crew bases in Michigan, but company won’t confirm
Amtrak may be poised to begin overhauling the way it operates in Michigan, including potentially closing crew bases and centrally locating train service employees in Chicago, according to union officials and a state lawmaker who has been in direct contact with the transportation company about its plans. Union representatives said that long-term plan, which Amtrak […]
GOP Livingston Co. sheriff says he won’t enforce pending state ‘red flag’ gun laws
To a standing ovation of gun rights activists, the GOP-controlled Livingston County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution at this week’s meeting declaring it to be a “constitutional county” and essentially saying it will ignore recently passed gun control legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The board chambers were packed long before […]
Civil rights commissioner introduces resolution backing ban on conversion therapy for minors
Updated, 4:28 p.m., 4/25/23 Efforts to ban the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ minors picked up support this week at a Michigan Civil Rights Commission meeting. Commissioner Luke Londo, an independent who also serves as Hazel Park’s mayor pro tem, introduced a resolution Monday imploring the Legislature to ban conversion therapy for minors, and […]
Health care advocates say ACA ruling has ‘disastrous’ impact on Michiganders
A panel of Michigan health care advocates said a recent federal court decision striking down part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the latest in a “continuous assault” on health care by Republicans since the law was signed 13 years ago. Organized by Protect Our Care Michigan, the webinar included state Rep. Julie Rogers […]
Officials stress abortion remains legal in Michigan after latest SCOTUS abortion pill ruling
Michigan leaders are weighing in following the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that continues nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The court issued a stay early Friday evening in the court case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, filed by anti-abortion organizations that reversed lower court rulings about when and how the abortion […]
Tensions rise as bargaining stalls on new contract for U of M graduate instructors
Updated, 10:42 a.m., 4/24/23 Negotiations have hit an impasse between the University of Michigan and the union representing graduate student instructors, as tensions escalated last week into a confrontation requiring police intervention. The strike by the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) AFT Local 3550 began March 29, with economic issues the main point of contention. The […]
Moss: When it comes to the Holocaust, ‘Never again’ isn’t so obvious anymore
The Michigan Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution recognizing April 18 as Holocaust Remembrance Day, but not before its sponsor said words were not enough in the face of a documented increase in antisemitism. The resolution, SR 34, was sponsored by state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), who is Jewish. He began by noting the refrain […]
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein takes leave for mental health treatment
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein announced in a statement released Tuesday that he would miss an upcoming session of the court in order to seek mental health care out of state. “I have chosen to participate in short-term mental health treatment outside the state of Michigan while working remotely on active cases,” read the […]
Eight Michigan lawmakers sign SCOTUS brief opposing Texas abortion pill ruling
Eight Democratic members of Michigan’s congressional delegation have signed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to try and reverse a controversial ruling concerning the use of mifepristone. Access to the drug, considered the most common form of abortion care and a key component in miscarriage management, was called into question by a Texas […]
Judge recommends U of M grad student strike be halted, union says it will appeal
A state administrative law judge ruled Monday that the University of Michigan Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) AFT Local 3550 violated the no-strike clause in its current contract when they walked off the job on March 29. The union is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and represents almost 2,300 Graduate Student Instructors […]