According to the 2010 Michigan School Privatization Survey, published by the Mackinac Center, nearly half of Michigan school districts join private businesses to save support services such as food, prison and transportation, saving districts millions of dollars. In 1994, the legislature decided that the best way to give school districts the flexibility to study these savings is to prohibit the debate on privatization during contract negotiations. MCL 423.215 (3) of the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act enshrines privatization as an activity that cannot be renegotiated. The Michigan Supreme Court interpreted this law to mean that no collective agreement can contain a provision prohibiting privatization. This case is the result of a flagrant violation of MCL 423.215 (3). In March 2010, the Kent Intermediate School District and nine Kent County school districts (Byron Center, Comstock Park, Godfrey Lee, Godwin Heights, Grandville, Kenowa Hills, Lowell, Northview and Rockford) signed a one-year contract with the Kent County Education Association and its various local affiliates. The agreement contained a provision stating that there would be no privatization of the services of KCEA or its related companies during the agreement. The provision states that “all districts agree not to privatize unionized KCEA/MEA services for the duration of the agreement.” This database contains PDF copies of the collective agreements of each Michigan district for teachers, bus drivers, aides, office workers and other employees. EU contracts not only set salaries and benefits, but also information on class sizes, staff evaluations, school calendars and much more.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is working to update this database in a timely manner. We invite school districts to help us by sending copies of new collective agreements or links to these agreements to admin@educationreport.org. The current collective agreements, negotiated between the Kent County Education Association and 10 Kent County school districts, contain a non-privatization clause. Such a clause is contrary to a 1994 Michigan Law that should give school boards maximum flexibility in defining their district budgets.