Farmington Takes Low-Key Approach to Day of Action

Members of the Farmington Education Association (FEA) are participating in today's statewide Day of Action, but in a low-key way.

While teachers in other districts have organized pickets outside schools to protest pending state budget cuts and changes to tenure and collective bargaining for teachers, Farmington teachers union members planned informal social gatherings before and after school today, FEA president Dave Workman said.

The Day of Action has been organized by the Michigan Education Association (MEA) in response to efforts by Gov. Rick Snyder to trim spending on K-12 education and what the MEA describes as "attacks on school employees and the middle class."

Union members in districts across the state are forming "crisis response teams" to respond to legislation under consideration in Lansing. In Birmingham today, for instance, . Workman said trying to get people out all around the community is "challenging" with so much going on in the buildings this time of year.

Also, he said, "We haven't organized a picket at this time, because when we talk with our staff, trying to get the masses out, we haven't had the numbers. We're really in the building stages with our group." 

He said the informal gatherings today will help spread the word and share information. According to the MEA's website, a package of House Bills that would affect teacher tenure and further restrict what can be bargained during contract negotiations may be taken up in the House as early as today.

"The end of the school year is here, and Lansing politicians plan to spend the next few weeks working on legislation that will impact your students and your job," reads a notice on the MEA website. "The Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder are counting on your silence over the next few weeks so they can vote on unpopular measures, including bills to dismantle tenure and collective bargaining. We need to let our elected leaders know that we will hold them accountable."