Union Council Meeting

3/15/2010

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Story Published: Mar 16, 2010 at 11:52 AM EDT

Story Updated: May 11, 2010 at 2:03 PM EDT

The battle between mayor Dave Bing and labor unions regarding layoffs and salary cuts continue. Unions such as AFSCME Council 25 are now taking their fight to the Detroit city council.

My TV 20’s Jorge Avellan has the latest details.

AFSCME labor union leaders will meet this Wednesday with Detroit city council members to try to prevent mayor Dave Bing from laying off thousands of workers and reducing city employee salaries by ten percent.

John Riehl
"We want them to, when the mayor brings the concession contract to them, to say no, it has to be reduced, it has to be backed up so the community can get it’s service and that city workers can keep doing the good work we do."

John Riehl, president of AFSCME Local 207, says negotiation meetings with the mayor have not been successful for either side.

That’s why their hoping the council could play the role of the mediator to resolve the issue.

Riehl claims that if the cuts take place, city workers wont’ be the only ones affected by them…the city in general could see a decrease in city services.

John Riehl
"If the services are cut back and the trash pick-ups are delayed because they don’t have the mechanics, if the water services aren’t picked up, yes it will accelerate the people leaving Detroit right now."

Amanda Hollins
"Why stay here when I can go across Eight Mile somewhere and get everything that I was getting here plus more and the services are better. So why not move."

To help eliminate Detroit’s three hundred million dollar deficit, last year, the mayor’s cabinet received pay cuts themselves.

But unions are demanding more cuts be made at the top.

John Riehl
"The most important cut backs would be in higher staff like the manager level, the deputy director level. They don’t need so many of those. They can also cut back dramatically on their number of outside contractors. Our workers actually work for much less than the outside contractors are a good deal for the city."

Wednesday’s meeting will be open to the public.

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