Union of office professionals files grievance against university
UAW Local 6888, which represents Central Michigan University's office professionals, is filing a grievance against the university after it prevented staff from working remotely amid the state's latest COVID-19 advisory.
The grievance points to an Oct. 14 MIOSHA order as evidence that office workers, who were told to report to campus while faculty and students worked off-campus, should be able to work from their homes. According to the document, those who can "physically complete required job tasks from a remote setting" should be required to work remotely.
According to a statement from the union, other local colleges, like Alma College and Mid Michigan College, allowed staff to work from home.
Nicole Morrison, president of the union, said CMU office workers demonstrated in the spring that they could work from home. By keeping office workers on campus, the union believes the university is not doing all it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"We should be following emergency rules and MIOSHA guidelines by working from home," Morrison said. "We should be leading by example, helping protect not just (CMU) employees and students, but also the community and our loved ones."
Morrison said the next step in the grievance process is setting up a meeting with HR.
