Right to Work in Michigan--what it can mean for teachers

(**I wrote this before the horrible school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut--it seems so trivial now, but I am posting it anyway. My heart is sad all-around.)

This week the governor of Michigan signed a right-to-work law in that state.

I care about this on various levels.

One, I grew up in Michigan and until 7 years ago, that was the place I called home.

Two, my great-grandfather was one of the original sit-down strikers. I remember hearing stories of my great-grandmother bringing supper to my great-grandfather during the strike; passing it through the windows of the Fisher Body Plant.

Three, my family greatly benefitted from being part of a union. My mom was the MEA (Michigan Education Association) Union President for her district. She negotiated many contracts for her teachers and worked passionately in this role for many years. My father worked on the line at General Motors, and eventually worked his way up to a supervisor and was on salary—thus, no longer represented by the United Auto Workers union. Nonetheless, the union provided a comfortable standard of living for our family. (Additionally, so many of my relatives have worked at GM at one point or another. My great-grandmother and father, my grandfather, my mom, several of my aunts, uncles, cousins...even I worked for a GM supplier before I moved.)

Now, I live in Texas.

Texas is a right-to-work state.

I am also a teacher.

The first year I was a teacher…long story short, I was not part of a union. I had exemplary evaluations but I was working in a job that I was in NO way qualified to be in. I was working with 17 Emotionally Disturbed high schoolers in a self-contained unit. It was me, my aide, and a whole lotta crazy. When it came time for our contracts to be renewed, my principal called me into his office to let me know that I would not be receiving a contract—I would not be offered a position at his school or at any school in the district. I was stunned, but since it was my first year teaching, I didn’t know what my options were.

If I was part of a union—even in Texas, I could have called up my union representative and he could have come with me to that meeting. I could have filed a grievance and I probably would have had a job—but perhaps in another capacity in that district. My principal had no grounds to let me go.

My second year teaching, I joined a union. I was not going to let that happen again.

Anyway, what will right-to-work mean for teachers in Michigan? (These answers come from my firsthand Texas experience.)

 Well, if you choose not to be a part of a union—you won’t be able to seek representation if you need it.

Will you lose your job if you mess up? Maybe. But, you will probably have to mess up several times and you will be put on a growth plan. Typically, people don’t get fired around here…unless they are completely awful.

Will you still get those cost of living raises each year? Last year, I got a $200 raise for the whole year. I will never make $80,000 as a teacher. (That is what my mom made at one point in her career.) Our pay scale taps out at $56,000 for someone with 30 years of experience.

What will happen to your benefits? I pay over $400 a month to cover myself and my daughter. I have a $2400 deductible—I know my mom’s benefits were way better—with her $5 prescription co pays and her $10 office visits. (I would go to the doctor all the time if I only had to pay $15!)

Will you work for free from time to time? My mom was always shocked when I would tell her I had to go to a training in the summer or on a weekend. She would always ask me, “Do you get paid for that?” She could not believe that I would have to work for free; that extra stuff was always negotiated in their contracts. Nope, my contract simply states, “other duties as assigned,” that is the answer for the late night/weekend/summer events.

But, I do what is required of me, and then some. Sure, I complain from time to time—but I really do like my job.

For my Michigan friends, I feel for you. I know it is scary right now, but things probably won’t change drastically for you—at least not right away.

And, as for my great-grandfather and all those who sacrificed time with their families—I say thank you.

Thank you for those little things like weekends, a minimum wage, and pregnancy leave/vacation time.

I appreciate the fact that I have been able to spend these last eight weeks with my newborn daughter. Yes, I saved up all my sick days for seven years and am using EVERY single one of them, but without your sacrifices, I would not have been able to have this time with her.

Yep, that is probably the best benefit of all.