2011 House Bill 4246 ↩

Senate Roll Call 123: Passed

To establish that state university graduate students who work as research assistants are not considered government employees for purposes of enrolling them into a union, if their work terms do not meet an IRS "20 factor test" for employee status. This relates to a <a href="http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/depts/edit/9051">Mackinac Center lawsuit</a> filed on behalf of graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) at the University of Michigan. See also <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2011-HB-4003">House Bill 4003</a>, which would more broadly prohibit “stealth unionizations,” including an ongoing one involving home heath care aides and the SEIU union. Note: Originally introduced with a different purpose, the Senate amended this bill in a parliamentary maneuver to get the provision into law before UM student researchers are unionized in an upcoming Michigan Employment Relations Commission meeting..