MEA, GRCC union file unfair labor practice charge against college

Source: M Live

By Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A dispute between members of Grand Rapids Community College’s clerical workers union about whether to maintain ties with the Michigan Education Association has resulted in an unfair labor practice charge against the college.

Some members of GRCC’s Educational Support Professionals have initiated steps to break away from the union and form a new union group, known as the Alliance of Professional Support Staff. They want to break ties with the MEA because they feel the union’s dues are too high, one group member said.

But ESP members who support sticking with the MEA say college administrators committed an unfair labor practice by entering into “unlawful negotiations with a rival independent union” before that union was determined to be the “elected representative of the affected employees.”

The original union group, along with the MEA, filed the unfair labor practice charge on Sept. 18. Mediation in the dispute is scheduled for next month.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/grcc_union_divided_over_ties_t.html

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Very interesting case of state labor law with three different parties involved. The full story is a good read.