University of Michigan graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) have wanted to hold a vote asking other GSRAs whether or not a union should be formed for decades.
In the past, they've been prevented from holding a vote because the Michigan Employment Relations Commission has not allowed a vote to go forward.
Most recently they were prevented from doing so because of a new state law banning GSRAs from forming unions at public universities in Michigan.
But the timing of when that new law goes into effect has been hotly contested in the courts.
It's a long, sordid tale that involves parliamentary rules in the State House.
An Ingham County judge had ruled the law cannot go into effect immediately, so the Commission scheduled a vote on the UM GSRA unionization vote.
But the Court of Appeals stayed the Ingham County judge's ruling on Monday, restoring the immediate effect of the GSRA unionization ban.
So today, the Michigan Employment Relations Commission decided to table a vote on whether to allow the UM GSRAs to go forward with a unionization vote.
In a 2-1 vote, the Commission said any action they take on the issue would be moot because of the latest court ruling.
