For immediate release
News from Graduate Employees Organization Local AFT 3550
April 10, 2023
Court Denies University’s Injunction against Graduate Workers
ANN ARBOR—Today, in a major victory for striking graduate workers, unionized under the Graduate Employees Organization AFT Local 3550 (GEO), Judge Carol Kuhnke denied the University of Michigan’s request for an injunction. Graduate student workers at the University of Michigan decided to go on strike nearly two weeks ago, fighting for a living wage and dignity in the workplace. On the second day of the strike, the University of Michigan Regents filed a lawsuit against GEO, the labor union that represents graduate workers. Graduate student workers appeared in Court today to argue against the University’s motion for an injunction. The University previously asked for a temporary restraining order and injunction, and today the Court once again ruled in favor of the striking graduate workers, affirming our right to strike.
“The University keeps trying to convince a Court that we are causing irreparable harm by striking, and they keep failing,” says Ember McCoy, GEO vice president. “Our strike is having an impact, but today the University was unable to meet the threshold of evidence necessary to warrant an injunction. We just want a fair contract where the University pays everyone a reasonable wage.”
Outside the courtroom, graduate workers picketed all day. Their chants were audible in the courtroom. As the judge reviewed evidence, workers could be heard chanting “without our labor, U-M can’t function; we’re not scared of your injunction!” Grad workers celebrated outside the courthouse after hearing news of the decision.
“We heard in court today that the University considers graduate student workers absolutely essential to its functioning,” says Garima Singh, PhD candidate in Romance Languages and Literature. “We couldn’t agree more – and that’s precisely why the University needs to pay us what we’re worth and give us the workplace protections we deserve.”
The decision is a massive victory for graduate workers and working people across the whole state of Michigan. “We heard the same story last week, and the Court said no,” says Jared Eno, GEO president. “The Court upheld workers’ right to strike. We’ve been saying all along that the University’s move to use the courts to force workers back on the job was an unjustifiable abuse of legal system and an assault on. Today the court agreed.”
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