Prior to 1994, Michigan’s Public Relations Act (PERA) afforded public employees the right to collectively bargain over matters of wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment.  But Public Act 112 of 1994 put severe restrictions on the rights of public school employees, one of those restrictions made the question of outsourcing of any “non-instructional” services a prohibited subject of bargaining.  House Bill 4533 and Senate Bill 424 would restore the right to bargain collectively over the issue of whether or not to contract with a third party for one or more non-instructional support services.  It would also restore the right to bargain collectively on the question of the impact of such contracting out on current employees.

• House Bill 4533 and Senate Bill 424 do not eliminate school districts’ ability to outsource work, but rather, allows current employees to be involved in the discussion, allowing school districts to hear the true costs of outsourcing, and the value of the current workforce.
• House Bill 4533 and Senate Bill 424 would eliminate the ability of schools districts to unilaterally void labor contracts already in place for the non-instructional support staff.
• House Bill 4533 and Senate Bill 424 would allow non-instructional staff to exercise the same rights other public employees have in providing good work for fair wages, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment.
• House Bill 4533 and Senate Bill 424 would end the practice currently sanctioned by state law that allows school districts to discharge groups of loyal hardworking employees without cause, notice or an opportunity to plead their case to save their jobs.