Opinion: Why I support a union for MSU Extension workers

Longtime Extension Educator Darren Bagley explains why unionizing at MSU Extension is crucial for supporting staff and strengthening communities across Michigan.

Michigan State University is connected to every county in Michigan through our Extension offices. Staff in those offices are the face of MSU in communities across our state. In an ideal world, MSU Extension is the connection between the research base of the university and the needs of the residents of our state. Extension takes that world-class research and puts it in the hands of people to help them in their everyday lives. It also takes the questions from the communities and works to get answers.

I started with Extension as an Americorps back in 1998. I have spent the majority of my life with this program. I am privileged to be able to teach young people about science and civic engagement. I am lucky to have watched young people present testimony to the Michigan Legislature and change the laws of the state of Michigan. And I feel like an imposter because I cannot make change in my own workplace. This feeling is the exact reason why myself and so many other Extension employees are working to form a union.

Within Extension, we teach families how to improve and maintain their health, how to make the most out of a limited food budget, and how to safely grow, prepare, and preserve food around their home.  We help farmers make the best use of their dollars and produce food and fiber for our economy while protecting the environment. We help decision makers make responsible choices for their communities and use our abundant natural resources to improve our quality of life.

I have reached out to administrators directly, brought up questions in public meetings, worked through professional associations, and contacted through the Extension ombudsman equivalent to no avail. A union is our best hope for improving our organization.

Unionization would not only help Extension employees, but the communities we serve across the state. One way communities would benefit would be through how Extension employees serve 4-H. 4-H is the largest youth-serving organization outside of K-12 education in the state of Michigan, making it an extremely powerful resource for improving our state.  

Research shows that young people involved in 4-H are more likely to give back to their communities, make healthy choices, and serve in leadership roles. In an approximately two-year time span, 40 of Michigan’s 83 counties have had turnover in their 4-H staff. Some of those counties have had multiple turnovers during that time. Others have had to re-post multiple times to get enough qualified applicants. With a union, Extension can better meet the needs of our staff, so we can recruit and retain people in our organization.

As a youth development professional – I know that long term relationships with caring adults is one of the most important factors for youth success. In underserved communities like Flint, it takes a long time to build the trust to effectively program. This cannot be done with such high turnover.

That is why I am supporting a union for MSU Extension. I am very grateful for the work I get to do. Extension is one of the best investments for limited tax dollars, because we empower others through education. 

I’m sure most have heard the quote from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. At extension, we are the “teach people to fish” rather than “give them a fish” folks.  

I have been around long enough to see the young people I have worked with teach the lessons I taught to them to others. That is generational community change and the closest thing we can get on this planet to immortality. I want others to stick around long enough to feel that same joy.

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