Members hold the authority
UTSF’s ultimate authority rests with its membership. Members elect leaders, vote by secret ballot, and retain the rights of initiative, referendum, and recall.
How we govern
Constitution & bylaws
Member-written governance
The rules that keep UTSF democratic
Our Constitution and Bylaws define who makes decisions, how leaders are elected and held accountable, how members exercise their rights, and how bargaining priorities and agreements move forward.
They place authority with UTSF members and create a representative structure for carrying out the work of the union.
At a glance
Governance highlights
Representative governance
An elected Executive Council, Executive Board, and Representative Assembly connect union-wide decisions with faculty and librarian voices from academic units across MSU.
Clear leadership roles
The documents define the responsibilities, terms, and accountability of officers, delegates, Association Representatives, and the bodies that govern the union.
Member-led committees
Standing committees support nominations and elections, membership, finance, collective bargaining, and grievances, with chairs reporting to the union’s governing bodies and members.
Democratic bargaining
Members shape bargaining priorities, while an officially impaneled negotiating team presents tentative agreements for ratification by secret-ballot membership vote.
Financial accountability
The bylaws establish member control of local dues, regular financial reporting, an annual budget process, and an annual audit of the union’s books.
A member-approved foundation
Timeline of Governance Approvals
Drafted through an inclusive faculty process, approved by members, and recognized by our state affiliate.
- 01
Initial governing documents
The Constitution and Bylaws identify December 3, 2024 as the date of the initial documents, following a democratic drafting process involving faculty from across MSU.
- 02
Ratified by UTSF members
A two-week voting period concluded with UTSF members unanimously ratifying the Constitution and Bylaws that would govern the new local union.
- 03
Approved by the MEA
The Michigan Education Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the documents, recognized UTSF as an MEA affiliate, and granted the union legal standing to negotiate a contract.
- 04
Recognition completed
MSU formally recognized UTSF as the exclusive representative of tenure-system faculty and continuous-system librarians, allowing the member-governed structure to carry its mandate into collective bargaining.
These milestones gave UTSF the democratic and legal foundation to elect officers, establish the Representative Assembly, form standing committees, identify bargaining priorities, and negotiate an inaugural agreement.
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