By Kalea Hall  The United Auto Workers' success this week in organizing its first joint-venture battery plant owned by a Detroit Three automaker will aid the union in its fight to organize other similar plants and bolster its position in the changing industry, experts say. Workers at the General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution joint-venture Ultium Cells LLC plant in Warren, Ohio, this week overwhelmingly voted in favor of UAW representation, with 710 voting for the union and 16 voting against it. The plant is one of four U.S. facilities the companies are planning to open. Production launched first at the Warren facility this past summer. The Warren Ultium facility is the first of several battery plants the UAW will look to organize as the Detroit automakers progress with their EV plans. The organization efforts come less than a year before the UAW starts national contract talks with the automakers, which are likely to focus on preserving union jobs in the move to EVs. "The successful organizing of the new wave of electric battery manufacturing is essential to the UAW's future position," said Marick Masters, a professor at Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business, in a statement. The UAW's challenge now will be "to meld the representation of these workers into the overall fabric of the auto negotiations so as (to) protect jobs and wages," Masters said. "These workers should become ambassadors for the UAW's efforts to replicate this success in other facilities in the offing and in the facilities of the nonunion electrical vehicle manufacturers such as Rivian and Tesla." 

By Jamie L. LaReau     The hourly workforce at Ultium Cells LLC, the joint venture owned by General Motors and battery maker LG Energy Solution, has voted to unionize its plant in northeast Ohio after the union and the company spent months at odds over the organizing process. About 1:30 Friday morning, the UAW released the results of a two-day vote that started Wednesday and ended at 11 p.m. Thursday. The workers at the plant, located near GM's former Lordstown Assembly plant in Ohio, voted in favor of joining the UAW by a vote of 710 to 16, the UAW said. Experts say the victory is significant for the UAW's future. It should enhance the UAW's bargaining power with the Detroit Three automakers later next year, for example, and it signals that Ultium's two other plants — one being built in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and the other in Lansing — will likely also vote yes for union representation. "If the UAW draws the important lessons from this win and uses the knowledge to replicate success in other comparable situations of joint ventures, then it will have performed its mission well," said Marick Masters, a professor of business at Wayne State University and an expert on unions. "The ultimate objective of unionizing is to improve the working conditions of people and build a stronger middle class. This victory is another signal that there is considerable support for unions that can result in bargaining representation if workers are given a fair chance to exercise their voice without undue employer interference." 

By Reyna E. Estrada  Nov. 12-20 was Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and foodservice operations across the country launched initiatives to put a spotlight on those issues and assist in the fight against food insecurity. According to the American College of Physicians, approximately 1 in 10 Americans struggle with food insecurity, and that rate is even higher among college students. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 30% of college students reported experiencing food insecurity, and it is estimated that rate has since risen, per a study published by Health Affairs. From meal swipe banks to free famers markets, here’s how colleges and universities, in particular, have been addressing food insecurity on campus, both last month and year-round. Wayne State University has brought a similar concept to its campus: the Warrior Meal Share Program. The program allows students with meal plans to donate their extra guest meals. The meals are then loaded onto cards, which are made available to students in need. “It’s anonymous, which is really good,” said Audra Forsberg, director of the OneCard, Parking Service Center and contract services at Wayne State, in a statement. “Sometimes students don’t want to come forward and ask friends for help, or sometimes a student wants to help but there’s some awkwardness with offering to help. With this, students donate, and privacy is protected because students can be anonymous when they pick up the card.”   

By Khaled A. Beydoun Khaled A. Beydoun, professor at Wayne State University Law School, wrote an op-ed about the World Cup in Qatar, describing the momentous occasion of the FIFA World Cup unfolding in the heart of a Muslim nation where the Moroccan team has reached the quarterfinals, becoming only the fourth African nation and the first Arab country to do so. “…Things fall apart for Muslims, particularly as the War on Terror has stigmatized their identity and silenced their prayers,” Beydoun writes. “The Moroccan team did not defeat Islamophobia, but the World Cup stage, curated by Qatar, enabled a new stanza of resilience, and sublime chapters of resistance where Muslim identity stood tall, proud and victorious in the center of the world stage…”

Clara G. Zundel, a postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Wayne State University, wrote an article summarizing findings that people who breathe polluted air experience changes within the brain regions that control emotions, which may make them more likely to develop anxiety and depression than someone who breathes cleaner air. “In our analysis, 73% of the studies reported higher mental health symptoms and behaviors in humans and animals, such as rats, that were exposed to higher-than-average levels of pollution. Some exposures that led to negative effects occurred in air pollution ranges that are currently considered “safe” by the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards,” she writes. “In addition, we discovered that 95% of studies examining brain effects found significant physical and functional changes within the emotion-regulation brain regions in those exposed to increased levels of air pollution.” 

Eugene Driker was a pillar in the Jewish community, a prominent attorney, and a tireless supporter of the city of Detroit and Wayne State University. In recognition of his profound contributions, President M. Roy Wilson and the Wayne State Board of Governors have created the Eugene Driker Award for Distinguished Service. The award’s first recipient is Driker, who received the honor posthumously at the Dec. 2 Board of Governors meeting, with his friends and family in attendance. A two-time Wayne State alumnus, former member of the Board of Governors, chair of the Wayne State University Foundation Board, generous donor and tireless ambassador for the university, Driker passed away in September. But the enormous impact of his contributions to Detroit and Wayne State will be felt for years to come. His wife, Elaine, and his son Stephen Driker along with his wife, Jennifer, accepted the award. “My only wish is that he was here to accept this himself,” Elaine Driker said. “Everyone knows how much he loved this university. He called it the portal to the American dream. ... I believe that's why he worked so tirelessly on behalf of the university. Hearing everyone speak about all of his contributions to the university and to the city, I want everyone to know that he was also a remarkable husband, an incredible father and a devoted grandfather.” 

Elizabeth (Betsy) Lublin, associate professor of history at Wayne State University, discusses Pearl Harbor Day and explains why Japan attacked the United States in 1941. “Most students come at it from the perspective of not understanding the reasons why Japan attacked. Part of what I do in the classroom is provide that kind of context, and also explain the Japanese public’s reaction at the time as well as Japanese thinking about Pearl Harbor today,” Lublin said. “They’re surprised – they don’t get that kind of information in high school history classes. The simplest reason (for the attack) is that the Japanese at the time felt threatened. They felt that they had been cornered into a position, for which the attack on Pearl Harbor was the only way to defend their nation. The causes date back to the 1930s; Japan’s expansionism into China, their movement into southeast Asia in the late 1930s early 1940s, very much to get tin, rubber, and particularly oil reserves. Those were absolutely essential from the Japanese perspective to continue to wage war, expand the empire, protect the homeland. In July 1941, the U.S. along with Britain and the Netherlands placed an embargo on all Japanese assets and severely restricted their access to crude oil. That sense of threat led the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor, thinking it would take the U.S. out of the equation…” 

The Wayne State University Office of Women’s Health used Mason jars to bring the importance of health to Detroit women during its most recent Well Woman Wednesdays event.  Well Woman Wednesdays is a health-focused mobile unit developed by the Office of Women’s Health in partnership with Wayne Health and other organizations. It aims to provide on-site health screenings as well as education to improve primary health preventive measures. Partners who cover all areas of women’s health educate and screen participants. Areas of women’s health that are usually covered include pregnancy and infant health, cardiovascular health, reproductive/sexual health, cancer prevention and mental health. The mobile unit brings health to Detroit area neighborhoods. Partners in the event included the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, the Center for Health and Community Impact, the Detroit Parenting Network, Wayne Health, Delta Dental and Make your Date. The women visited partner tables and gained important educational information, lab work, vaccines and health screenings. The participants also engaged in a chair yoga activity tailored to their age group. Attendees received Mason jars that contained motivational quotes about women’s health. They later filled the jars with a salad they arranged from a complimentary salad bar. Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate vice president and founder of the Office of Women’s Health and a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology for WSU, provided a motivational talk about health and wellbeing while encouraging the women to take advantage of the services provided. 

By Mark Satta Mark Satta, assistant professor of philosophy at Wayne State University, wrote an article about a major case in front of the Supreme Court, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, which centers around LGBTQ rights and free speech. The petitioner, Colorado-based web designer Lorie Smith, is looking to expand her business, 303 Creative, by making wedding websites for couples that consist of one man and one woman. She wants to refuse wedding website services to same-sex couples planning to marry. Smith also wants to write on the 303 Creative website that she has been called by God to make wedding websites only for mixed-sex couples in order to promote “God’s true story of marriage.” This would appear to violate the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, a state law that protects against sexual-orientation discrimination in places that offer goods and services to the public. “As a scholar who pays close attention to the Supreme Court’s free speech and LGBTQ civil rights cases, I believe the case could have a significant impact on how federal courts handle cases where free speech rights appear to clash with anti-discrimination laws in the future,” writes Satta, before outlining three key recurring themes in the case.

Assistant professor of teaching in global supply chain management at Wayne State University Kevin Ketels discusses the acceleration of Apple’s plans to shift some of its production outside China, which has long been the company’s dominant country in the supply chain. About 85% of iPhones are built and assembled in China. The pandemic, civil unrest and COVID authoritarian rule have revealed that consolidating manufacturing centers for American companies in the volatile country is now becoming more risky and less sustainable. Apple is rethinking its strategy after worker protests related to China’s zero-COVID policies. “We’ve seen police beating workers at Foxcon’s facility in China, which is the world’s biggest site making Apple smartphones…” Ketels said. “Now Apple says ‘we need more facilities and places to avoid supply chain nightmares.’ In the past, people didn’t worry too much about product coming from one location to another. Free trade seemed pretty normal and predictable, but we have entered a whole new world, and Apple is waking up to that…”     

Children in Detroit are getting the chance to find out what it's like to go to medical school. Dr. Carolyn King is one of the founders of Co-founder of the Reach out to Youth Program at Wayne State University and hopes to inspire the next generation of young doctors. The program, which began in 1990, encourages kids ages seven through eleven to consider careers in medicine. "In order for us to know who we can be, we have to see that role model in front of us, otherwise, we think the only thing there is to be that's passion-filled is an athlete or a superstar," said King. Second-year medical students who were a part of the program spoke about the importance of young children seeing those with similar ethnic backgrounds or genders reaching some of the highest levels in the medical field. "I really believe that representation is super important, especially in the field of medicine, where we don't have many black doctors or many brown doctors," said medical student Lyndsay Archer "So making sure that we just inspire the next generation to know that this field is something that they can do and that they can thrive in is super important."

By Eric D. Lawrence and Jamie L. LaReau  UAW members don't yet know if they will have a new president or whether incumbent Ray Curry will hold his seat following the union’s first direct election of top leaders, but one thing is certain: Change is on the horizon. Marick Masters, a business professor and labor expert at Wayne State University, said the vote, with rank-and-file members mostly selecting opposition candidates where they had the choice, revealed a great deal of dissatisfaction with the current leadership. Masters said, noting that some of the reforms in budgeting and personnel that the union is required to implement as a result of the fallout from the corruption scandal are “works in progress.” “They have an opportunity if they are firm and aggressive and thoughtful about it to make sweeping changes,” Masters said of the new voices. The corruption scandal, which exposed a culture where some top leaders helped themselves to a “fat cat” lifestyle, amplified the dissatisfaction among many members, but Masters said the discontent had its roots in other causes, such as unhappiness with the union’s stance in bargaining and a perceived willingness to cooperate too much with management. Looking ahead, the union will need to prioritize where it puts its organizing resources, Masters said. If the union wants to show its ability to make progress on some of the issues members care about, then it will need to demonstrate that it can unionize workers at electric vehicle battery plants and at auto plants not controlled by the Detroit Three, he said, noting that it won’t be easy. “These companies are not going to roll over and allow this to happen without a fight, so they’re going to have to be more resourceful overall in how they approach organizing these new battery facilities and these foreign-based plants in the United States,” Masters said. 

By Jess Thomson  The one universal truth is that every living thing eventually dies.  It may seem like a terrifying prospect, a great unknown, but by learning about every stage of the process, we can take some of the mystery out of our final moments, and what happens to our bodies afterwards. For someone who has been approaching death due to age or ill health, their body will slowly begin to shut down. In the weeks prior, they may experience greater fatigue and lose their appetite, while in the days before, they may lose control of their breathing. Some people have a burst of energy in their final days or hours hours, before growing more tired. "Prior to death, body temperature may increase or decrease depending on the conditions of the patient. The patient may also experience hypostasis, which is the settling of blood in the dependent areas of the body," Mark Evely, director of the mortuary science program at Wayne State University. 

By Mark Link  Newspaper boxes are being stocked with boxes of naloxone, the generic version of the medication Narcan, used to reverse opioid overdose. Stocking the nasal spray version of the medication in repainted newspaper boxes, placed with permission around Michigan, is the newest initiative by Harm Reduction Michigan, a statewide healthcare nonprofit (previously named “MiWhoSoEver”) and founded in Traverse City in 2009. Sheriff’s offices in some Michigan communities have, for several years, offered free Narcan from repurposed vending machines — an initiative that began as a partnership with researchers at Wayne State University and pre-dates Harm Reduction Michigan’s use of newspaper boxes.  

Saturday night Downtown Detroit was full of the holiday spirit and bright lights at the 48th annual Noel Night. The event was the first one since 2020 due to the pandemic and this year there was increased security to ensure a peaceful night. Detroit Police Commander Melissa Gardner says the increased security included four difference police agencies: Detroit Police, the Wayne County Reserves, Wayne State Police, and a private off-duty police force called Blue Line Protection.

By Phoebe Wall Howard  Ford shattered a sales record for the month of November after reaching a record-setting pace of 52,518 new orders for the 2023 Super Duty pickup in the last five days of October, when it averaged more than 10,000 trucks a day, according to monthly sales data. But the November sales report nearly triples that figure. The Super Duty pickup has a base price of $43,970 that often climbs past $90,000, depending on amenities selected by the buyer. Options include type of engine, wheels, tires, cloth or leather interior, display screen size and massaging seats. Ford now has orders for 151,870 Super Duty trucks since the order bank opened Oct. 27, the company revealed Friday. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University, said Ford has a high-stakes interest in maintaining the appeal of the Super Duty that goes beyond just happy customers who want a pickup with a traditional internal combustion engine that pulls enormous loads of weight. These are the products that fund the future at Ford in electrification and technology research, he said. "This bodes well for the company's future," Masters said. "The sheer volume of orders is particularly surprising. It's very important for the company to have high levels of sales in these profitable areas." 

By Sherri Welch The Wayne State University Board of Governors on Friday adopted a block tuition model for undergraduate students. With the change, which takes effect in fall 2023, undergraduate students will pay the same amount for enrolling in 12-18 credits per semester. The shift incentivizes students to take full course loads and enables them to graduate sooner, WSU said in a release, noting it is the 11th public university in the state to adopt the model. "To fulfill Wayne State's mission as a university of access and an engine of social mobility, we constantly strive to align our students' goals with academic pathways to success," said Mark Kornbluh, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

By Cara Murez  Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research. Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, largely because of third-generation and brand-name drugs, the study found. "While it's very important that Medicare and Medicaid patients have access to these drugs, the cost to the system is significant and continues to rise each year," said Dr. Deepti Zutshi, lead study author and an associate professor of neurology at Wayne State University in Detroit. "The answer is not to remove access to the medications but consider ways to cap or head off costs so we can continue to ensure the longevity of Medicare and Medicaid," she said.