The University of Michigan’s Lecturers’ Union has approved a strike authorization.
The authorization means that the union has the option to go on strike as bargaining with the university goes forward. The key issue the union is navigating involves the menial salary increases for lecturers on the Flint and Dearborn campuses.
Kirsten Herold is a lecturer at the school of public health and the president of the union.
“Dearborn and Flint have a flat 3% raise for the four years. And that is very difficult for our members to accept that that’s really the best the university can do.”
In contrast, lecturers on the Ann Arbor campus will see base salary increases of 8%, 6%, 6%, and 5% over the next four years.
Herold says much of the new contract is an improvement but falls short for lecturers in Dearborn in Flint.
“We are very happy with everything else in the contract we have bargained. We think both sides have worked really hard and in good faith to get to this place. I personally think it’s almost tragic that we have to consider taking an action that will clearly be upsetting to students."
Herold says the union is not striking at this point, in hopes of coming to a fair agreement with the university.
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