LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – When given a chance, public school employees have decided against staying with their unions in Michigan, according to data provided to the federal government by the state’s two largest teachers unions.

The Michigan Education Association (MEA) and the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan (AFT-Michigan) chapter have both lost thousands of union members since the state became a right-to-work state. That law became effective in 2013, and was repealed by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature in 2023. Although Michigan is no longer a right-to-work state, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision protects public sector workers from having to be forced to contribute or be members of a union as a condition of employment.

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The MEA’s membership has declined from 148,241 in 2013 to 118,692 in 2024, according to union documents filed by the union to the federal government. That’s a 20% drop in membership.

AFT-Michigan has suffered a 33% drop over that same time period, going from 24,784 members in 2013 to 16,626 in 2024. AFT-Michigan represents the Detroit Public Schools Community District as well as Dearborn Public Schools.