Huffington Post:
Arts Academy In The Woods Teachers Vote To Unionize Charter School
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/arts-academy-in-the-woods-charter-school-union_n_1150009.html?ref=education&ir=Education
December 15th , 2001- The Huffington Post
By Simone Landon-
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After a six-month organizing drive, teachers at a suburban Detroit charter school voted to unionize on Wednesday, simultaneously certifying a new union local for charter school teachers in Michigan.
Teachers at the Arts Academy in the Woods high school in Fraser approved the new Michigan Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (Michigan ACTS), a local affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, by a vote of 20-1.
The 10-year-old AAW is chartered by the Macomb County Independent School District and is one of the highest performing schools in the county, serving 276 students in grades 9-12. It is only the second charter school to belong to AFT Michigan, but union organizers say it won't be the last.
Phil Cerrasco, an English teacher at the school, was involved in the union campaign and says the new union will approach the bargaining table in a collaborative spirit.
"We've had a lot pay cuts, a lot of insurance cuts," he said. "It hasn't turned us bitter, but it has made us think collectively maybe it's time for us to collaborate more on what's affecting our future and get outside of the classroom."