◼ Repeal prohibited subjects of bargaining to provide employee voice in the workplace on job placement and security, outsourcing, evaluation, just cause requirements for dismissal, and more.

◼ Remove automatic penalties for school employees when working under an expired contract, like step freezes and pass-through of health insurance cost increases.

◼ Allow school employees the freedom to allocate their paycheck as they choose, including permitting payroll deduction of union dues like every other public and private worker in Michigan.

In the words of MEA Members:

“Laws about what is allowed to be bargained in public education have crippled our ability to negotiate fair contracts, particularly when it comes to discipline, evaluations, and seniority. Repeal the unfair bargaining laws that are in place for public education employees and give us back our bargaining power so that we can come to the negotiating table as equals.”
Sara Sweat Ziegler, Monroe

“We must address language that was stolen from our contracts. Insert lay off, seniority, recall rights, and just cause directly into state law. This is what gives teachers a voice.”
Joe Ligaj, Lincoln Park

“So many restrictions were placed upon educators and districts by politicians in the past years, seriously limiting the bargaining and decision-making power of people who work directly with students and know what the best practices are.”
Jane Cottey, Plymouth-Canton (retired)

Regarding “right-to-work” repeal and public sector workers

Repealing Michigan’s so-called “right-to-work” law is a Democratic legislative priority, but a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME case will keep that repeal from impacting public education employees and other public workers. While MEA supports repealing right-to-work for our private-sector union sisters and brothers (including private-sector MEA members), a repeal will not apply to the vast majority of MEA members without a reversal of the court’s Janus ruling. Read more at mea.org/janus.

Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023:
◼ Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Student Academic Support
◼ Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Evaluation & Testing
◼ Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Collective Bargaining & Job Security Rights
◼ Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Educator Compensation
◼ Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Public Education Funding