This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update 4/11: This story has been updated to include a comment from the University and GEO.
The University of Michigan has not been granted a restraining order against the Graduate Employees’ Organization by the Washtenaw Circuit Court. Following an evidentiary hearing Monday afternoon, Judge Carol Kuhnke decided there is no evidence of irreparable harm to the University. Members of University administration were in court seeking an injunction that would have claimed that GEO’s current strike is illegal because it constitutes a breach of contract.
GEO’s strike began at 10:24 a.m. on March 29, after months of activism during their contract negotiations with the University’s Academic Human Resources department. Ninety-five percent of GEO’s members originally voted to authorize the strike, which is now entering its second week.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily following the decision, GEO President Jared Eno said he believes the court made the right call.
“The University was banking on resolving this entirely through the courts and not having to deal with us seriously at the bargaining table,” Eno said. “I think the judge made the right call that that’s not appropriate.”
In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen wrote that the University is disappointed in the judgment, but remains ready to negotiate with GEO.
“While we are disappointed in the decision, we appreciate Judge Kuhnke’s acknowledgement that our students are still being harmed,” Broekhuizen wrote. “We also understand the high legal standard of ‘irreparable harm’ we faced.”
Daily News Editor Riley Hodder can be reached at rehodder@umich.edu. Daily Staff Reporters Miles Anderson and Matthew Shanbom can be reached at milesand@umich.edu and shanbom@umich.edu.