EMUFT is a member-driven organization. This means that unlike many other unions, EMUFT is not a professionalized union. Instead, we all are the union. All of our voices are important to ensure the best working conditions and a thriving community of educators.

One way to make your voice heard is by joining a committee or subcommittee.

Your input is needed! Your insights and opinions matter! We all have unique skills, talents, ideas and experiences. By sharing these with your community through a committee, your can make a real difference!

The AFT Michigan Administrative Board has created five working groups to help push forward our work in priority areas that have emerged from, and cut across, our Constituency Committees, and we are looking for members to add your expertise and passion to the groups (listed below, with target constituencies we will seek to involve):

• Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline (All Constituencies)

• Increasing the Number of Black Educators in Michigan (All Constituencies)

• Support Staff-to-Teacher Pathways (PreK-12 Support Staff, Teachers, Special Ed/ISD)

• Converting Part-time to Full-time Faculty (Nontenure-Track Faculty, Tenure-Track Faculty)

• New Deal for Higher Ed: Fighting Back Against Austerity Budgeting (Grads, Nontenure-Track Faculty, Tenure-Track Faculty & Academic Staff)

Each group will begin with an Assessment Phase before moving toward recommending action steps to the AFT Michigan Administrative Board. Time commitments are flexible and will vary depending on the project and timeline.

Click here for descriptions of each group's scope and sign-up forms.

There are now three ranks to which a Part-Time Lecturer can be appointed:

PTL 1: All new hires begin at the PTL 1 rank. PTL 1s have priority for available courses before the university is able to hire any new lecturers. After 6 semesters as a PTL 1, lecturers are automatically promoted to PTL 2.

PTL 2: After teaching for 6 semesters as a PTL 1, a lecturer is automatically promoted to PTL 2, conditional upon meeting job performance expectations. PTL 2s are guaranteed at least 1 course in both the Fall and the Winter and are given a full-year contract. PTL 2s are given priority of assignment for available courses over PTL 1s.

PTL 3: After teaching for 6 semesters as a PTL 2, a lecturer is automatically promoted to PTL 3, conditional upon meeting job performance expectations. Once at the PTL 3 level, lectures have priority of assignment for available courses over all other lecturers. All PTL 3s are appointed to full-year contracts. There are three levels within the PTL3 rank to which PTL3s may be appointed, depending on the number of courses they typically teach in a year. Any additional courses beyond the minimums are assigned to qualified PTL 3s before PTL 2s.

PTL 3L: at the PTL 3L level, lectures are guaranteed at least 1 course in each of the Fall and Winter semesters.

PTL 3M: at the PTL 3M level, lecturers are guaranteed at least 3 courses in the Fall and 2 courses in the Winter.

PTL 3H: at the PTL 3H level, lecturers are guaranteed at least 4 courses in the Fall and 3 courses in the Winter.

Full-Time Lectures are appointed to one of three ranks, based on their credentials:

Lecturer 1: Masters degree or a Bachelors plus 30 hours towards a graduate degree in a disciple directly related to the Employee’s teaching assignment.

Lecturer 2: Masters degree plus 30 hours towards a terminal degree.

Lecturer 3: A doctorate or equivalent terminal degree

Full-Time Lecturers are given 1-year appointments until they have completed two consecutive years of full-time employment.

Following 2 years of full-time employment, a ‘presumption of rehire’ shall take effect and Full-Time Lecturers are given a three-year appointment. A ‘presumption of rehire’ means that Full-Time Lectures can presume that they will be reappointed to another consecutive three-year appointment. EMU must provide notice of such reappointment by December 10th of the year prior to the beginning of the reappointment. If you are not notified of this reappointment in a timely manner, you can safely assume reappointment to another three-years so long as there is a sufficient amount of work.