Senate majority leader introduces bill to ban graduate student unions

The issue is a controversial one at the University of Michigan, where GSRAs maintain they are employees and want to unionize, but the university says they are students and don’t have the right to form a union.

The unionization attempt initially received criticism from U-M administrators, but the school's Board of Regents voted in May to approve GSRAs right to unionize.

After the regents' vote, GSRAs sought permission from MERC to unionize, but were initially denied. A group of GSRAs and advocates appealed that denial, and MERC voted to let an administrative judge decide whether GSRAs should be allowed to unionize.

Several deans at U-M and the Faculty Senate Advisory Committee also have opposed the unionization effort.

Richardville is a a Republican from Monroe who represents part of Washtenaw County.

• Read the Detroit Free Press article.