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Union Power for Workers with Disabilities

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

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John Ware, Higher Education Coordinator

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Agenda

  • Unions overview
  • Bargaining avenues for employees with disabilities:
    • Discrimination and Harassment
    • Accommodations and Accessibility
    • Discipline and Discharge
    • Layoff
    • Compensation
    • Benefits
    • Time Off
  • Power outside the contract
  • Questions

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What is a Union?

A union is an organization made up of workers united together to fight for better conditions at work. Unions work to advance respect, security, and economic justice in the workplace and social justice across communities.

A bargaining unit is a set of workers in similar jobs or classifications who have achieved recognition. A union may be made up of several bargaining units.

The employer is obligated to bargain with a union over the wages, hours, and working conditions for any recognized bargaining unit.

Union power is member power! A union is its members!

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Unions at UM

AFT Affiliated

  • LEO Lecturers & Librarians, Archivists, and Curators
  • GEO Graduate Employees
  • UMF AFT-AAUP Flint Tenure-Track
  • HOA Medical Residents & Fellows
  • UPAMM Physician Assistants
  • UMMAP Healthcare Workers
  • USU Nonsupervisory Staff

Other International Unions

  • AFSCME Service & Maintenance
  • Skilled Trades Union
  • IUOE Operating Engineers
  • POAM Police
  • COAM Police Supervisors
  • UMPNC-MNA Nurses
  • SEIU Health & Health Clerical
  • UM-PRO Postdocs
  • RAO ResStaff

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How Unions Form

  1. Form an Organizing Committee
  2. Assess Support
  3. Membership Drive
  4. (if necessary) Election
  5. Bargain First Contract

UM has a policy which minimizes management interference in union organizing and recognizes bargaining units with majority support.

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Agenda

  • What is a union?
  • Bargaining avenues for employees with disabilities:
    • Discrimination and Harassment
    • Accommodations and Accessibility
    • Discipline and Discharge
    • Layoff
    • Benefits
    • Time Off
  • Power outside the contract

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Contract Language: Discrimination and Harassment

Example (LEO lecturers):

“Discrimination against any Employee shall be prohibited by the Employer and will not be tolerated.

The Employer will take proactive measures to ensure that Employees are treated without discrimination because of… disability…

The Employer shall adhere to… the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.”

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Makes violations subject to grievance and arbitration!

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Contract Language: Accommodation Procedures

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  • What is the process for requesting an accommodation?
  • Who makes the decision?
  • How is medical information handled?

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Contract Language: Accessibility

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  • Physical elements of the workplace
  • Parking
  • Health and safety
  • Resources

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Contract Language: Discipline and Discharge

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“No Employee shall be disciplined except for just cause.”

Principles of Just Cause

  • Reasonable Rule or Work Order
  • Notice
  • Sufficient Investigation
  • Fair Investigation
  • Proof
  • Equal Treatment
  • Appropriate Discipline

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Contract Language: Layoff and Recall

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  • In what order are employees laid off?
  • What notice must be provided?
  • What preference is given to laid-off employees seeking rehire?

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Is the RIF process working?

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Contract Language: Benefits

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The GEO contract:

  • limits annual copays for mental health and physical therapy
  • specifies that GradCare covers a range of treatments for ASD, ADHD, and neurodevelopmental conditions

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We are approaching the point at which enough regular employees are unionized to be able to bargain over health insurance!

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Contract Language: Time Off

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  • How much time off?
  • In what increments?
  • For what purposes?
  • What notice and documentation is required?

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Major source of discipline at Michigan Medicine!

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Union Power Outside the Contract

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  • Community
  • Mutual Aid
  • Advice and Support
  • Policy Change (Work Connections?)
  • Political Power

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What You Can Do

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  • Join your union
  • Talk to your coworkers
  • Show up, weigh in, vote
  • Take part in action
  • Become a workplace leader
  • Serve on a committee
  • Join or start a disability caucus

Start a union if you don’t have one!