“Right-to-Work” Bills Passed by Michigan Legislature, Signed by Gov. Snyder

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan signed so-called “right-to-work” bills into law yesterday, Tuesday, December 11.  The bills will impact both public and private sector unions.

The crux of these bills, and any other right-to-work law, is the prohibition of “fair share fees,” also known as “agency fees,” which unions collect from non-members for services.  Despite not being able to collect fair share fees, unions that operate in right-to-work states still have to represent and provide services to non-members, and even can be sued by non-members if they believe they are not adequately being represented.

While proponents of right-to-work tout ideological principles such as “freedom in the workplace,” right-to-work is a thinly-veiled union-busting tool.  Without fair share, it is extremely difficult for unions to represent their members and participate in the political process.

More information about right-to-work can be found on our website: Right-to-Work is Wrong. 

Organized labor in Michigan already has begun to explore the option of spearheading a citizens’ initiative to bring this issue to a statewide vote in 2014.  In the meantime, though, the right-to-work law would take effect.  

“Right-to-Work” Bills Fast-Tracked 
in Michigan Legislature 

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan is expected to sign so-called “right-to-work” bills into law this coming Tuesday, December 11.  The bills will impact both public and private sector unions.

This attack on workers comes a month after the November elections, in which Michigan voters turned down a proposal to place collective bargaining rights in their state constitution.  A coalition called Protect Working Families, mainly spearheaded by labor organizations, including the Michigan Conference AAUP, had tried to preempt right-to-work with this ballot proposal.  However, Protect Working Families was vastly outspent by opposition that successfully campaigned on outrageous lies and scare tactics.

The crux of any right-to-work law is the prohibition of “fair share fees,” also known as “agency fees,” which unions collect from non-members for services.  Despite not being able to collect fair share fees, unions that operate in right-to-work states still have to represent and provide services to non-members, and even can be sued by non-members if they believe they are not adequately being represented.

While proponents of right-to-work tout ideological principles such as “freedom in the workplace,” right-to-work is a thinly-veiled union-busting tool.  Without fair share, it is extremely difficult for unions to represent their members and participate in the political process.

Right-to-work also has far-reaching implications beyond union members.  All workers in right-to-work states make, on average, $5,333 less than workers in free bargaining states.  In addition, right-to-work states have higher poverty rates, more workplace fatalities, and have fewer people with health benefits.  

When the unions that helped build worker protections and the middle class disappear, those protections and the middle class start to disappear with them. 

In Ohio, a Tea Party coalition has been collecting signatures to put a right-to-work issue on the state ballot.  At this time, it is unknown whether they will follow through with the proposal, and if they do, when it will be on the ballot.  Nevertheless, the We Are Ohio coalition that repealed SB 5 has remained together to monitor and fight against a right-to-work attack.  We will continue to keep our members updated as we hear more about right-to-work in Ohio.

We stand with our colleagues in Michigan as they protest these bills. Thousands are expected to rally in Lansing on Tuesday.

Gov. Kasich and University Presidents
Unveil New Funding Formula 

At a press event on November 30, Gov. John Kasich and the presidents of the four-year public colleges proposed a new formula to fund higher education in Ohio, which will be part of next year’s biennial budget.

The current State Share of Instruction (SSI) formula is primarily based on enrollment numbers. Under the new plan, which was devised by the university presidents at the behest of the Governor, SSI will be based primarily on graduation numbers and course-completion rates. The idea is to provide a financial incentive to universities to achieve desirable outcomes, rather than reward enrollment.

Specifically, 50 percent of the SSI formula will be based on graduation numbers; 30 percent based upon course completion; with the remaining 20 percent dedicated to factors like college readiness and demographics. 

*Other pieces of this proposal include:

• Eliminating the separate funding formula for regional campuses in the second year of the two-year budget, which will be rolled out in early February and will take effect on July 1.
• Rewarding universities that attract the best students into Ohio and keep them in the state for employment or continuing education.
• Repealing laws that place “artificial constraints” on regional campuses, such as separate approval processes for degree offerings.
• Developing a formula in the second year of the budget to reward a student’s successful completion of an associate degree.
• Rewarding schools that successfully train non-traditional and at-risk students. 

*Source: The Columbus Dispatch As with any plan that provides financial incentives for certain outcomes, there are concerns over potential unintended consequences. For example, faculty could be pressured into inflating grades to pass students, or administrators may be tempted to override faculty-given grades.  In general, colleges may unfairly close the door to disadvantaged students who are considered less likely to graduate or successfully train. There are also concerns about how the elimination of separate funding for regional campuses will impact regional campuses and their relationships with main campuses. The Ohio Conference will continue to monitor this proposal and will raise the aforementioned concerns during state budget deliberations, which will begin in February next year. Our goal is to provide constructive criticisms that can aid the success of this new formula.

Watch the Presentation: Why You Should Vote YES on Issue 2

Ohio Conference AAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick has been traveling to our AAUP Chapters all over the state delivering a PowerPoint presentation about why we need to pass State Issue 2 this November 6.   

We know our members are busy, but we hope that you will take the time to watch and share the important messages of the presentation. 

Ohio Conference AAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick has been traveling to our AAUP Chapters all over the state delivering a PowerPoint presentation about why we need to pass State Issue 2 this November 6.  

However, if you want to see a 30-second version from Voters First, their first TV ad is below. We hope you will share these videos on Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail.

But we realize that many of our members have not been able to see the presentation in person.  The link below will take you to a YouTube page where you can view the 15-minute narrated PowerPoint presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-fNQkGzM5g&feature=youtu.be
 Why You Should Vote YES on 
Ohio State Issue 2 
We know our members are busy, but we hope that you will take the time to watch and share the important messages of the presentation. 

However, if you want to see a 30-second version from Voters First, their first TV ad is below. We hope you will share these videos on Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail.

 Voters First – First TV Ad – YES On Issue 2

Moreover, this link will take you to an interactive map that will explain why Ohio’s new congressional districts have such odd shapes:

Interactive Map – Politicians Pick Their Voters

 Voters First – First TV Ad – YES On Issue 2

Moreover, this link will take you to an interactive map that will explain why Ohio’s new congressional districts have such odd shapes:

Interactive Map – Politicians Pick Their Voters

We hope you agree that voting YES on ISSUE 2 is critical.  Spread the word!

Wright State University Full-Time  Non-Tenure Track Faculty Vote to Unionize

By a vote of 92 Yes to 29 No, the full-time non-tenure track (FTNTT) faculty at Wright State University voted overwhelmingly to have the Wright State University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-WSU) represent them as their exclusive bargaining agent.  The votes were counted at the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) in Columbus on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. The vote demonstrates the dissatisfaction of the FTNTT faculty with the WSU administration’s unilateral imposition of a one-size-fits-all teaching load on this group of faculty. A faculty committee representing the FTNTT faculty worked for two years on an alternative teaching load policy, which was passed by the University’s Faculty Senate. However, the university administration ignored the Senate’s recommendation and unilaterally imposed a new teaching load policy. Professor Martin Kich, president of AAUP-WSU, said in a statement, “This is a group of faculty who do a substantial portion of the undergraduate teaching at Wright State University, and their teaching conditions represent our students learning conditions. We are very concerned that the increasing teaching load for this group of faculty will degrade the quality of education that we provide to our students.” The new bargaining unit will represent approximately 175 full-time non-tenure track faculty. The tenure track faculty are already represented by AAUP-WSU. Congratulations to all of those who worked hard to make this happen!

Sincerely,  Ohio Conference AAUP Communications Committee