Lawyers for Ferris State University and its faculty association will be in court in Big Rapids Wednesday morning. The two sides are clashing over a new contract.
According to Arthur Przybylowicz with the Michigan Education Association, negotiations with the university have been underway for months, and the union has even approved a university-proposed contract.
"However, the board of trustees of Ferris State University voted eight to nothing to reject their own proposal. We believe that that's a clear violation of their duty to bargain in good faith under the public employment relations act." Przybylowicz said.
Przbylowicz said it appears the university gave into political pressure to not approve the contract, after the state legislature voted to make Michigan the 24th right-to-work state.
That law, which bans mandatory union membership, goes into effect at the end of this month. The proposed contract would require faculty to remain dues-paying members for the next five years.
The faculty union is hoping the originally agreed-upon contract will become their new collective bargaining agreement.
Ferris State University declined to comment for this story.