University of Michigan agrees to contract with lecturers union ahead of right to work deadline

The University of Michigan and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization announced Wednesday that they have reached a tentative five-year contract that will be ratified one week before new right-to-work legislation takes effect. According to a story in the Detroit News, the previous deal between U-M and the union had been set to expire April 20.

The Lecturers Employee Organization represents about 1,500 non-tenure track instructors on University of Michigan campuses in Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn. The organization’s contract with the university contains language that allows lecturers to either join the union or pay a service fee.

Negotiations had been ongoing since November, and a joint statement from the two parties said the agreement was reached in good faith. The contract will be ratified by mail with a deadline of March 21.

• Read the article from the Detroit News.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2