The Detroit News editorial board criticizes a handful of Metro Detroit school districts and two universities for "doing everything in their power to circumvent" the state right-to-work law that kicks in soon.
Contracts with unusually long terms are extending the current "closed shop" status that lets union membership be a condition of employment, an editorial notes.
Lawmakers allowed contracts settled before the law goes into effect March 28 to be exempt from right to work until they expire.
Thus the push to extend contracts protecting union security as long as possible. . . .
It's not fair to educators who would like to opt out of their union — or to the taxpayers who fund their salaries.
The paper cites an eight-year contract approved last week by Warren Consolidated Schools and a 10-year union dues clause in Taylor's new four-year agreement with educators. In addition, it notes:
"The University of Michigan has reached an agreement on a five-year contract with its 1,500 member lecturers' union and Wayne State University officials have agreed to an eight-year contract." . . .
Union representatives in Detroit, Utica and Dearborn are also trying to secure new collective bargaining agreements before right to work kicks in.
