YPSILANTI, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Eastern Michigan University teachers continue to strike against the school for alleged unfair contracts for the second day.  

Ninety one percent of the teachers in the union voted in favor of striking on Tuesday citing unfair labor practices by the university as reason to strike.  

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The teacher’s labor union, The American Association of University Professors at Eastern Michigan University (EMU AAUP) has released a petition outlining many of the grievances which spurred them to strike. 

In the petition, the teachers outline how their contracts at EMU expired on Aug. 31.  

“Now the administration is attempting to force faculty to accept healthcare premiums that are higher than any other group on campus, including administrators,” according to the EMU AAUP petition, “For many members, this would constitute as much as a $5,000 increase in healthcare premiums, plus more in additional out of pocket costs. These outrageous increases hurt faculty, their families, and students.”

Under Michigan Law the university must adhere to dollar caps towards employee plans or follow an 80-20 cost-sharing model in which the employer contributes 80 percent of the plan and the employee gives the remaining amount.  

In an attempt to negotiate, the university has offered union members roughly a six percent or $5,600 pay increase in the first year of the contract, then providing incremental raises each subsequent year.  The union contends that the nine percent inflation rate renders this offer insufficient.  The faculty counter offer hybridizes the two offering an initial $3,200 base pay increase and the 80-20 model. 

Yesterday, EMU filed a suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court in the hopes of a judge forcing teachers to return to class. 

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According to the university, the faculty should not be able to strike because they are public employees which would violate state law.

This is not the first time that EMU has used this argument against their professors.  In 2011, a judge acted in favor of the university, and sent the striking faculty back to the classrooms provided negotiations continued.  

EMU has complained that the strike will injure students and others. 

“Our primary focus is getting faculty back in the classroom so that our students can continue their education,” Walter Kraft, university spokesperson, said in a statement. “Even a one-day disruption is significant for our students and we are committed to providing them with a full and positive academic experience, particularly as negotiations continued today with the assistance of a state-appointed mediator.”

An ongoing list of the contract debates between the union and university can be found here.