07/08/20 Relations with the WSU Administration in the Context of Covid-19

This is to keep you informed of the progress of the efforts to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis by the University. The Union leadership is still at the beginnings of a conversation with the Administration over the financial response to the crisis. It is as yet unknown how many students will register and pay the tuition that provides almost two-thirds of the University’s general fund during the current fiscal year. We will keep you informed as the discussions progress.

I want to commend the Administration for initiating the formation of the Restart Committee and its various subcommittees to address the University’s response to the various dimensions of the crisis we collectively face in our institution. The work of the Committee and its subcommittees has been for the most part sensible and helpful to meeting the challenges faced by the University in these difficult times. However, the process of forming the committees raised some important issues.

Representation on Restart Committees. Unfortunately, it was a struggle to get representation of the Faculty and Academic Staff in the membership of the Restart Committee and its subcommittees. The chief manner in which we have a voice in the operation of the University is through the organizations in which we elect our own leaders: our Academic Senate and our Union. In short, our instruments of academic governance and of our representatives who negotiate our terms and conditions of employment. The divergence between the interests of administrators, who have increasingly come to dominate colleges and universities and those of the people who actually deliver the services that justify their existence has become increasingly obvious. A recent book by Benjamin Ginsberg, The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why It Matters (Oxford University Press, 2011) is but one useful example of many examinations of this phenomenon. It is ironic that intellectuals wage their wars with the ever-burgeoning assemblages of higher education administrators by writing down their ideas. They often assume that their arguments, if made forcefully enough, will win the day. Their opponents, the administrators, for the most part, wage these wars of ideas by ignoring them and working every day to accumulate power memorandum by memorandum.

President Wilson Insists on His Right to Choose Senate Representatives. The COVID-19 crisis provided the grounds for yet another skirmish between these forces at WSU. The first impulse of President Wilson was to appoint members of these Restart Committees without consulting either the Senate or the Union. He maintained to the Senate President that he could appoint representatives of the Senate instead of them being appointed by the Senate itself. In the initial appointments of administrators to the Committees, those who held retreat positions on the Faculty were identified by an asterisk as Faculty representatives when memberships on these groups were initially published on the University’s website. For example, the Dean of CLAS, as with other such administrators, were identified as Faculty members.

Following protests by the Academic Senate, President Wilson added representatives chosen by the Senate and the Union with one significant exception. The President of the Senate was designated by the Senate Policy Committee for membership in the Finance Restart Subcommittee. President Wilson refused to appoint her to it. The struggle to get President Wilson to recognize the right of the Senate to appoint its own representatives to University committees continues.

For example, the President is in the process of establishing a “Social Justice Action Committee.” In a memorandum to the Senate President he stated: “Faculty representation will be important and I am requesting that you and the Policy Committee of the Academic Senate provide me with fifteen names of potential faculty from which I can select five to be on the various subcommittees.” It is clear that he is committed to the patronizing principle that the Senate cannot be trusted to designate its own representatives. On the five committees that make up the Social Justice Action Committee (no central committee was named), roughly half of those named as members are administrators, there were five unnamed Academic Senate slots on four committees and four student slots on one committee. The AAUP-AFT was not asked for names for appointment to any of the committees.

The charge to the committees from President Wilson is: “(1) examining internal policies, procedures, and practices to identify and eliminate bias throughout the Wayne State University campus that may disproportionately disadvantage historically marginalized peoples, and (2) recommend specific actions for consideration of immediate, short term, medium term, and long term implementation to advance social justice and equity for historically marginalized peoples at Wayne State University.”

Social Justice and Race at WSU. In establishing the Social Justice Committee, the President does not ask that it focus on the University’s obligation to the city of Detroit within which it lives. I would hope that the Committee would examine the issue of what we could do to raise the number of our Black graduates. President Wilson and his senior administrators have been celebrating the increased percentage of Black students graduating from the University. I have suggested that the effusive self-congratulations should be tempered by the fact that during his Administration, the number of Black students at the University has declined dramatically, and there are no policies in place to address this issue. When President Wilson came to Wayne State in 2013, we graduated 527 Black students. This year, we graduated 473 Black students, 10 percent fewer. My communication, slightly revised, to the Board of Governors that deals with this issue is attached. Also attached is a copy of Governor Sandra Hughes O’Brien comments published in Deadline Detroit on this same subject. The pertinent question is what should be the social justice action responsibilities to the community of a university situated in the heart of a city with a population that is 80 percent Black, with half of its children below the poverty level. Why is Wayne State’s Administration committed to a program that touts a higher graduation percentage based on a falling number of Black graduates and a dwindling number of Black students?

Conclusion. It would be much better for the University if President Wilson was a leader who welcomed criticism and was not resistant to the kind of vigorous debate that would be involved in a strong system of shared governance that is envisioned in the Annotated Code of the Board of Governors that states: “… [the] Senate has authority and responsibility for the formulation and review of educational policy affecting the University as a whole.” (2.26.04) Important questions, such as that of social justice and race, should be topics for robust debate within the Senate and between an independent Senate and President Wilson and his administrators. That would be good for the University.

Sincerely,

Charlie
--

Charles J. Parrish
President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter
Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan
President, AAUP Michigan Conference
Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP
5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301
Detroit, MI 48202
313.577.1750

052620 Update!! -- WSU "Serious Financial Distress"

Dear Colleagues:

During contract negotiations in 2012, we agreed to a provision that we did not foresee ever being invoked. In order to get the unusual ten-year contract agreed upon, with an annual salary increase of 2.5% each year, we accepted language that stated that, if the University fell on very hard economic times, the Board of Governors could declare that a situation of “severe financial distress” exists, and suspend salary raises for the following academic year. (Article XI.B.4, pp.23-24)

The Administration is contemplating asking the Board to declare that a situation of “severe financial distress” presently exists for the University. If the BOG responds favorably and acts under this provision, the Union can appeal the decision to arbitration. In the arbitration, the Administration must provide all relevant financial information in a process overseen by the arbitrator. After a hearing before the arbitrator, both sides submit briefs summarizing their arguments and within thirty days after, that the arbitrator must render a decision to both parties. The arbitrator cannot decide to award a salary increase amount below zero percent or higher than 2.5%. There are a number of other provisions, but the description here lays out the basic process.

The attached memorandum was sent to the Academic Senate Budget Committee members prior to its May 26, 2020 meeting. Copies were also sent to the members of the Board of Governors and President M. Roy Wilson. This copy is being provided to all members of the Faculty and Academic Staff to inform you of the first steps being taken to represent you in this process. You can be assured that the Union will bend every effort to defend your right to the raise that you richly deserve.

In solidarity,

Charlie Parrish

--

Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan Conference

Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

05/21/20 Union's Response to "Serious Financial Distress"

Dear Colleagues:

Following is the response that both myself and Ricardo Villarosa sent this morning to President Wilson and the Board of Governor's regarding the University's "Serious Financial Distress" declaration:

*************************************************

Dear President Wilson and Board of Governors Members:

We understand that the Administration intends to ask the Board of Governors to invoke the following provision of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which states (Article XII.4 p. 23):

“For a maximum of three (3) times during

the period of March 20, 2016 through

March 20, 2021, upon a vote of the

University’s Board of Governors that the

University is in “serious financial distress”

the University Administration may

prospectively void the contracted across-

the-board and selective salary adjustments

for the forthcoming contract year. The

Association shall have thirty (30) days to

submit this matter to binding arbitration.”

The Union is cognizant of a provision of the CBA, in the same Article, which states that (Article XII.A, p. 19):

“In the event of an Executive Order or a 

legislative reduction of the state appropriation,

at the University’s request, representatives of the

Association and representatives of the University

Administration to discuss the impact of this

reduction and possible solutions to the problem.”

It is the position of the Union that this provision of the CBA be followed before a declaration of “serious financial distress” should be invoked by the University. To our knowledge, the University has not yet received notice of a pending Executive Order, nor of a specific legislative reduction of our state appropriation. The Board of Governors should instruct the Administration to follow this provision of the CBA and not leapfrog directly to a declaration of “serious financial distress.” It is relevant that, at the present time, we do not have reliable knowledge of the revenue from the major funding sources for the University’s General Fund [Tuition (54%), State Appropriations (34%)], and those amounts will not be known until sometime later this summer. However, so far, projected enrollment figures for the Fall Semester suggest that they are holding steady, and we may find the degree of any “serious financial distress” may be mitigated by this, and such a declaration is premature at this point.

Nor do we have any indication of the Administration’s attempt to address the issue of administrative personnel costs beyond a limited adjustment to non-represented merit increases and a temporary diversion of high-level Administration salaries to a student aid fund. Significant reductions to administrative costs should be dealt with before the Faculty and Academic Staff are asked to make additional sacrifices to the ones they have already experienced in having to switch from face-to-face classes to online teaching in the middle of the Winter Semester, and the adjustments to having to adapt beyond the necessary work from home requirements. As the front lines of the core academic mission of the University, Faculty and Academic Staff initially made it possible for students to complete a Winter term by shifting to remote instruction and delivery of all academic and co-curricular support and engagement. They continue to contribute by preparing to meet the challenges of Spring, Summer, and Fall with all of the creativity and flexibility that are required to achieve a successful return to campus in whatever forms that entails.

We ask that the Board instruct the Administration to agree to begin talks with the Union after an Executive order or a reduction in our state appropriation takes place. These talks should be “to discuss the impact of this reduction and possible solutions to the problem.” Any further action related to the financial situation for the coming year should be deferred at this time pending further knowledge of the financial situation of the University. In addition, the sacrifices that have already been made by the Faculty and Academic Staff should be matched by the Administration before any request for further sacrifices be made to the Faculty and Academic Staff of the University.

I have attached this message as a memorandum, as well.

Sincerely,

Charles J. Parrish, President

Ricardo Villarosa, Chief Negotiator

AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

--

Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan Conference

Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

05/18/20 Bargaining Unit Update

Dear Colleagues,

It is seems like much longer than just two months since our first message about our Demand To Bargain the changes that have been necessary to adjust and adapt to the challenges presented from COVID-19, and the rapid move to remote teaching, learning, and other operations. Our members have helped ensure completion of the Winter term, grading, advising, and other vital student support, and celebrating our most recent graduates. Through our members’ collective efforts and willingness to go above and beyond in countless ways, we ensured the core mission and activities of the University were effectively served.

With the announcement of the nine Restart Committees by President M. Roy Wilson, many expressed concerns over the lack of Faculty and Academic Staff representation on the committees. President Wilson’s approach was to appoint, overwhelmingly, administrators as the members of these committees. A few Faculty members were appointed by the Administration to represent the Faculty and Academic Staff. This continuing pattern of picking the representatives of the Faculty and Academic Staff, rather than asking the Academic Senate and the Union to appoint their own representatives to these bodies, is deeply troubling. The Union and the Academic Senate objected to this. During the May 6th meeting of the Academic Senate, President Wilson acceded to their demands, and representatives appointed by them eventually became members of these committees. The complete listing and rosters for the Restart Committees, with your Union representatives identified, are available at the following link: https://wayne.edu/coronavirus/campus-restart.

While representation of the Union on these committees is an improvement to the process, it is not a substitute for the direct bargaining that we are ensuring continues with the Administration as we move through the Summer and approach the Fall. As the Restart Committees attempt to establish broad guidelines for phased return to campus in the coming weeks and months; they must also address the complex array of uncertainties for health, safety, enrollment, and external regulations that continue to evolve rapidly. These circumstances will call for continued extraordinary efforts on the part of our individual members, and the Union collectively. For Faculty, the need to plan for the flexibility to teach in one of the many options from limited face-to-face, remote, hybrid, with synchronous or asynchronous components--and being able to shift during the semester if conditions change again. Academic Staff continue to shoulder increases in scope, quantity, and complexity of their advising and support of current and incoming students throughout the Summer and into the Fall.

Although the charge of the Restart Committees is to set broad guidelines for campus, the detailed planning and implementation will rely on schools, colleges, divisions, and departments. To be successful, this structure requires local shared governance participation by Faculty and Academic Staff members who are most knowledgeable about the specific needs and solutions for each area and discipline. Please reach out to chairs, supervisors, and deans to ensure that your voices are heard in those local decision processes. 

The Administration leadership has publicly acknowledged the significant contributions and sacrifice that our members have made and continue to make. However, it needed strong action by the Academic Senate and the Union to get a place at the table in the process of setting the restart policies for the University. As your Union representatives, we continue to work on your behalf to ensure safe and equitable conditions for our shared work; and to assure the preservation of the hard-won benefits and rights in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We cannot do this effectively without your support and personal efforts in your own units. Please continue to reach out to your Union Council Representatives or directly to the Union Office team with questions, concerns, or successful practices that may be shared. As stated previously, we offer opportunities for small 'pop-up" membership Zoom meetings. Several departments and other groups have participated in the past month. As always, our strength comes from our collective efforts and support for each other.

In Solidarity,

Charlie Parrish, President

Ricardo Villarosa, Chief Negotiator

Michelle Fecteau, Executive Director

--

AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

office@aaupaft.org

05/08/20 Governor Busuito's Response To President Wilson's recent message

Dear Colleagues:

I appreciate President M. Roy Wilson’s thanking me for extending the discussion of issues between Board of Governors’ members and him in his most recent message to the Faculty and Academic Staff. The issues are important to the University. 

The conflict at the top level of the University has contributed to a loss of confidence in the President and the Board among the members of the Faculty and Academic Staff. Only 29% had strong confidence (11%) or confidence (18%) in the President, while 41% had little confidence (20%) or very little confidence (21%) in him with 30% having no opinion. The AAA survey found comparably low levels of confidence in the Board of Governors. (AAA Report, Ques.1f and 1g, pp. 15 and 16) 

The turmoil at the top levels of the University, budget cuts, and questionable leadership decisions have taken their toll on the morale on the Faculty and Academic Staff. When asked how they would assess the morale of the members of their unit or department, the AAA survey found that one-half (50%) said that it was either low (32%) or very low (18%), and only 19% said that it was either high (16%) or very high (3%). (AAA Report, Ques. 9, p. 52) When the survey asked whether or not the members’ morale had improved or gotten worse over the past five years (roughly the term of President Wilson), 54% said that it had gotten either worse (36%) or much worse (18%), while about one-third (32%) said that it was about the same. Those saying that morale had either improved (11%) or very much improved (3%) only totaled 14 %. (AAA Report, Ques. 10, p. 53)

When asked specifically about the contribution of President Wilson’s manager of health and medical affairs to the School of Medicine “Three-quarters of the applicable respondents rate Mr. David Hefner’s contribution to the development of the School of Medicine as negative or very negative. In fact, more than half (53%) rated his contribution as very negative.” (AAA Report, Ques. 6a, p. 46)

The picture that emerges is that leadership of Wayne State University leaves much to be desired in the view of the Faculty and Academic Staff. These survey results will be explored in the future and put into a broader context. But for now, I have been asked to forward Governor Busuito’s response to the President’s recent message to the members of our Bargaining unit. It follows below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 7, 2020

Dear Professor Parrish,

Please find attached my response to President Wilson’s message sent out to the WSU community on May 6, 2020. I again challenge him on the facts, and his message appears only to distract from, as opposed to clarify, the real issues that I raised at the BOG meeting of May 1, 2020. 

Medical School Tuition

I believe that the vote to approve tuition was based upon incorrect information presented to the BOG during its budget and finance committee meeting on May 1, 2020. They were told that 35% of our medical students leave WSU without debt, and the remainder of students leave with an average debt of only $100 thousand at graduation. Many medical students have indicated that these numbers are erroneous. They tell me that the numbers are closer to 8-10% without debt (meaning 90% plus have debt) with an average of $200 thousand in debt, NOT counting their undergraduate debt. Placing more debt burden on our students at this time when so many people have economic challenges is just wrong; especially when we have another source of funding (PEPPAP dollars) that could be used to protect our students from a tuition raise.

Racial Disparities and Enrollment

I used the Wayne State University Fact Book data for the period of President Wilson’s tenure. My specific concern was a drop in African-American enrollment to WSU by 32% under the tenure of President Wilson.

PEPPAP Funds

PEPPAP are acquired through Medicaid Claims generated by WSU faculty and affiliated groups. This is clinical revenue generated due to WSU faculty providing care to the underserved in the Detroit metropolitan area. This money is intended to reimburse care providers who do not otherwise receive payment from patients or insurance providers. These PEPPAP monies have been diverted to WSU accounts under David Hefner and Rebecca Cooke. These funds are now approximately 80 million dollars and their diversion from the care providers who earned them is currently before the courts. Hoarding this money, if legally diverted as this administration claims, is a disservice to medical school students, the faculty and the university at large. The faculty generated dollars should be retained by the physicians generating the dollars. This was the intent of PEPPAP. This was the point I raised in my letter to you.

Bottom line is that the purpose of PEPPAP is to “increase access to health care by boosting the pay of physicians who work in poor or underserved areas.” How is it not stealing from the physicians when they provide the care and then WSU takes WSUSOM faculty money so that WSU will not “be viewed negatively by the crediting agencies?” WSU takes the money of the physicians and then criticizes them for being a financial burden. This is wrong. WSU is now punishing our front line COVID-19 responders, our physicians, staff and students, by cutting salaries and raising student tuition after taking their generated funds. I say that the handling of the PEPPAP dollars has defeated their purpose of increasing access of health care to the poor. Questions posed to this administration regarding these issues are integral to the future of WSU. This administration chooses to attack BOG members who pose important questions regarding the stockpiling of the PEPPAP funds. In May, 2019, MDHHS reported that “it is not the state’s role to get involved with a dispute between a public entity and one of its subcontractors.” They went on to say that they “would be happy to review the results of any independent audit of Wayne State University’s administration of the PEPPAP program, should they choose to pursue such a formal review.” [source: Crains Detroit Business 4/16/2019 and 5/9/2019] Quit pretending that there is an impending state audit and proceed with a forensic accounting, as none has ever been presented to the Board.

Higher Learning Commission

Michigan’s three largest universities: WSU, MSU & U of M have boards that are elected by the people of Michigan. The purpose of university boards is to provide oversight representing the people of Michigan by sound fiscal policy. Our only employee is the president of the university. Those of us who ask questions about the President’s actions have been attacked by the President and his team. Asking questions of the President is our job. We are elected by the people of Michigan to oversee the use of university monies. To suggest BOG members should “resign for not supporting the President” indicates that there should be no oversight of the President and WSU funds. It is also inconsistent with the State Constitution and the bylaws of the University. This board must not act as a rubber stamp for President Wilson’s initiatives. There must be University oversight for his questionable financial practices. This is not a monarchy. We will continue to ask questions and demand a forensic audit.

Michael J. Busuito, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Member, WSU Board of Governors 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Stay well, stay safe and enjoy the weekend!

Charlie

--

Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan ConferenceMember-at-Large, National Council, AAUP5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

11/06/19: Controversy Over the Firing of President Wilson

Dear Colleagues:

You have all received a message from Ms. Kim Trent concerning the action taken in a Board meeting Wednesday night. She makes the argument that the action taken by the Board in dismissing President M. Roy Wilson in the Board meeting was invalid for legal reasons. I am not qualified to make a legal determination as to whether or not the Board action was valid or not. I can make the political judgment that the present situation with the divided Board is not helpful for the Board and, consequently, for the University. It is virtually impossible for the University to function effectively in the present situation.

I understand that Board members who acted to dismiss President Wilson have referred the matter to Attorney General Dana Nessel for a ruling on the legality of the Board action in Wednesday night’s meeting. Let us hope that she acts swiftly to clarify the situation. You have available the message from Ms. Trent supporting the position that the Wednesday Board meeting was not properly convened. In the interest of providing members of our bargaining unit with the maximum information available on the situation, I am forwarding to you the message that I received from the four Board members who voted against President Wilson so that you can form your own opinion on the matter.

In solidarity,

Charlie

*. *. *

From BOG Members:

Michael Busuito, MD, Anil Kumar, MD, Sandy Hughes O’Brien, Esq., and Dana Thompson, Esq.

Under Article 8, Section 5 of the Michigan Constitution, one of the responsibilities of the Wayne State University Board of Governors is to hire the president of the University to work under the Board’s supervision. The president of the University is an employee of the Wayne State University Board of Governors. The president and his administration is NOT a co-equal branch of government with the Board. There are eight members on the Wayne State University Board of Governors.

Board Chair Kim Trent called a special executive committee meeting regarding the Heart of Detroit (HOD) Tuition Policy since President Wilson failed to discuss the HOD Tuition Policy with the entire Board before he publicly announced the Policy.

Board Secretary Julie Miller’s emails state that Chair Trent called a special executive committee meeting (see emails from Secretary Miller attached). The special executive committee meeting was initially called for Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 5 pm and since many Board members were not available on October 30th, an alternative date of the meeting was scheduled for yesterday, November 4, 2019 after the Health Affairs Subcommittee meeting.

A valid, special executive committee meeting was held yesterday with seven of the eight Board members attending the meeting. The Board members attending the meeting were Governors Michael Busuito, Dana Thompson, Sandra Hughes O’Brien, Anil Kumar, Kim Trent, Marilyn Kelly and Mark Gaffney.

Members of President Wilson’s administration gave a presentation about the HOD Tuition Policy. After listening to the presentation and hearing no good answer as to why the Board was not informed about the Policy prior to an hour and a half before the public announcement, Governors Busuito, Thompson, Hughes O’Brien and Kumar decided the best option was to terminate President Wilson for malfeasance.

Governor Busuito made the motion to terminate the president’s contract immediately, Governor Thompson seconded the motion, the floor was opened for discussion, then the members of the Board voted to terminate the president immediately unless he resigned by the end of the day Tuesday, November 5, 2019. The Michigan Constitution does not require the Board to take a formal vote at a public board meeting to remove the University’s president.

Board members voting for his termination were Governors Michael Busuito, Dana Thompson, Sandra Hughes O’Brien and Anil Kumar. Board Chair Kim Trent, Vice Chair Marilyn Kelly and Governor Mark Gaffney walked out of the meeting as the majority voted to terminate the President’s contract. Governor Bryan Barnhill was not at the Board meeting.

The vote that took place on Monday, November 4, 2019 at the special executive committee meeting was a valid Board decision to terminate a rogue, dangerous and nontransparent President. Again, personnel decisions do not have to be made at regular Board meetings in public. Personnel decisions may be made at Executive Committee meetings, including special executive committee meetings and only need to be reported out and not affirmed at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

Let’s be clear that we are not speaking about the merits of the HOD Tuition Policy. We are opposed to President Wilson’s abuse of his position and his abuse of the process. President Wilson’s mishandling of the HOD Policy reflects the most recent example of his poor leadership and inability to respect the will of the Board, his employer. President Wilson has engaged in a continuing pattern of questionable, covert deals that compromise the integrity of the University. President Wilson is a danger and disgrace to the University and these are the reasons the Board terminated his contract November 4, 2019.

Michael Busuito, MD

Anil Kumar, MD

Sandy Hughes O’Brien, Esq.

Dana Thompson, Esq.

--

Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan Conference

Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

08/30/19 Labor Day Message 2019/Statement to the Board of Governors Regarding the Reuther Archives

LABOR DAY: 2019 

Labor Day is a time for those of us committed to the support of Organized Labor to stop and think about where we are nationally and locally. Organized Labor has taken some blows in recent times. The conservative U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against us in the matter of right-to-work policies in public employee unions. This means that for public employee unions, like ours here at Wayne State University, bargaining unit members do not have to join our Union or to pay for the representation the Union is legally required to provide them.

But Labor Day is not the time to devote too much time to complaints about obstacles: rather it is a time to celebrate what we can do by working together in the interests of all workers. The decline of membership in Organized Labor due to changes in the marketplace, globalization, the technological innovations in manufacturing and the service industries, and other factors that correlate with the failure of workers to see their wages rise with the increases in the productivity of their work. The benefits of increased productivity have gone to those at the top of the wage structure and not to the workers. Today, 43% of the workforce makes $15.00 an hour or less. The average family has less than $400.00 in the bank to meet an emergency. The most consistent voice in the public square proposing measures to meet these problems comes from Organized Labor.

Critics of Organized Labor point to the current scandals in the United Automobile Workers and charge that unions are corrupt. Rarely do the editorials point out that for every bribed UAW official there is a corporate briber who is equally corrupt. There is no excuse for either the briber or the bribed in these outrages. We must, in this age of the Trump swamps of corruption, fight to make our unions honest and clean. When you look at American society today and yesterday you find that American unions are overwhelmingly a force for good. They fight to improve their members’ lives and for progressive causes that aim at the improvement of our country.

So, this Labor Day, let us commit ourselves to the support of honest, fair and representative unions. Let us remember the struggles of Organized Labor in Detroit. The records of the Flint Sit-down Strike of 1936-37, and the Battle of the Overpass in 1937 that did so much to establish the UAW and lift so many from poverty and into the middle class are documented in the Walter Reuther Labor Archives on our campus. The records of many important unions, including those of the 1.7 million members of the American Federation of Teachers of which we are proud members, are located in our Archives. We here at Wayne State have a role in the traditions of Organized Labor in Detroit, Michigan and the country. Below is my statement to the Board of Governors when the proposed Master Plan projected a “repurposing” of the Reuther Archives. The Board did not adopt the Administration’s proposal and probably would not have even if I had not provided my statement.

STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSAL TO REPURPOSE THE WALTER REUTHER LABOR ARCHIVES TO A STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING

CHARLES J. PARRISH, PRESIDENT

WSU AAUP-AFT LOCAL 6075

On May 16th, President M. Roy Wilson attended a dedication of the Gardner Special Collections Room in the Walter Reuther Labor Archives. In the course of his remarks, he announced that his intention is to have the building “repurposed” to be a Student Services Building. I was told of his remarks a few days later, and I had difficulty believing it. I knew that he was relatively new to Detroit, but I was sure that he would be advised against doing this when his intentions were made known to others who had a greater appreciation of the history of the Archives, how it came to be built, who paid for it, and what it means to the history of Detroit and organized labor in Michigan and nationally. Then I realized that there were none among his closest advisors who had the experience or knowledge on which to base such advice.

I particularly expected that he would consult with members of the Board of Governors, who have long experience in Detroit and would counsel him to not pursue an act that some would see, as I do, as an affront to the memory of the great leaders and ordinary workers of organized labor; particularly UAW members whose dues enabled the Reuther building to be constructed. Such consultations did not take place until this public meeting. One can note the public presentation posted on the BOG website on the proposed Master Plan still includes the proposal to repurpose the Walter Reuther Labor Archives.

However, I understand that there were sufficient protests from members of the Master Planning Committee and that the President has withdrawn the proposal to repurpose the Archives building. This should have been headed off when it was first proposed, not a proposal to be finally withdrawn at the meeting of the Master Planning Committee two days before this review.

Throughout the world, the Walter Reuther Labor Archives serves as a monument to organized labor. It is the intellectual center for those who study workers and the social movements developed, in part, from labor leaders. The traditions that the Archives represent obviously meant little to the planners who were driving the formulation of the Wayne State Master Plan. There are others, however, on campus, in the Detroit community, and nationally and internationally, who have a deep respect for the traditions of the labor movement and the role of the Walter Reuther Archives in documenting it. The proposal to repurpose this building is an insult to the members of organized labor generally, and the members of the UAW specifically.

The library serves as the official archival repository for the:

1. Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA),

2. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME),

3. American Federation of Teachers (AFT),

4. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Graphic Communication Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,

5. Industrial Workers of the World (IWW),

6. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC),

7. The Newspaper Guild (TNG),

8. Service Employees International Union (SEIU),

9. United Auto Workers (UAW),

10. United Farm Workers (UFW)

11. Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW),

12. Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU),

13. Workers Defense League; and

14. Numerous labor-related organizations, especially those active in the Detroit area.

The Walter Reuther Labor Archives are also the repository for progressive leaders who are not forgotten by some of us. Residing in the Archives are the papers of political leaders such as Jerry Cavanaugh, the Mayor of Detroit during the 1967 troubles, who some refer to as the Detroit Rebellion, Mel Ravitz and Mary Ann Mahaffey, members of our faculty and our Union and long-time members of the Detroit Common Council, Millie Jeffrey, a former chair of the WSU Board of Governors, and Mayor Coleman A. Young. I knew all of these leaders, some better than others. The papers of Doug Fraser, former International President of the UAW, and Irv Bluestone, former UAW Chief Negotiator for 400,000 workers for General Motors are in the Archives. They were faculty members, and I had the honor of walking picket lines with them during the strikes forced on our Union during the Adamany years.

The Archives also document the rich history of urban Detroit. Many of those collections, such as the papers of Kenneth Cockrel, Sr., and Judge George Crockett, provide the most significant record of Detroit’s African American civic, judicial, and social justice leaders. Of course, Reuther is also the home of the Wayne State University Archives, which the Board of Governors established in 1958 in recognition of the importance and permanent value of the University's official records.

These and the other historic materials in the Archives are part of a priceless trove of primary materials that must be protected for scholars whose work illuminates the impact of organized labor, those who brought you the weekend and other benefits. When I say protected, I mean it in the physical sense. There is a lively market for the memorabilia that these materials constitute. They are literally locked up to protect them from theft or vandalism. The foot traffic from the repurposing of the Archives building to a Student Services Building would create serious and unnecessary security challenges.

I have brief advice for President Wilson. Don’t try to do this.

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Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan Conference

Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750