Taste The Dirty Water

Time To Give Management A Taste Of What's Coming

AFSCME reports there will be a picket held at 9300 Jefferson Ave, outside the Water Treatment Plant. They are urging workers from around the city to join them TODAY from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. According to the Local 207 Organizer from July 19 (see below | click to download/print) the city has crossed the line into Union Busting and it is time to organize in protest.

In negotiations on Tuesday July 17, DWSD Management presented us with a new “offer” on our contract. The outrageous details are below. Management is also threatening to impose on DWSD the same non-union, Jim Crow conditions which Bing and Snyder are imposing on the rest of city workers.

The Contract They Want Us to Accept (Offered to AFSCME on Tuesday July 17, 2012)

• 10% Base Rate Pay Cut
• PENSIONS: If hired after July 1, 2012, Defined Contribution Pension will replace the current Defined Benefit Pension. If hired before July 1, 2012, must switch to inferior DC Pension or pay 5% of base wages to stay in DB pension. Multiplier reduced to 1.5% for everyone. Annual 2.25% escalator on pensions would be eliminated
• All past practices would be eliminated
• Probation for new hires or during promotions changed from 3 months to 12 months
• Union would have to withdraw pending legal action against Judge Cox’s anti-union order
• Time limit to file grievances reduced from 20 days to 5 days
• Puts us under the City-State Consent Agreement (no obligation to bargain with unions)
• Gives mayor’s appointees control of our Pension Board
• Overtime to be assigned to those judged by Management as “most qualified”
• No limits on contracting out
• Discipline stays on your record for 36 months (currently 14), except for “workplace violence, sexual harassment, theft or willful destruction of Department property, or being under the influence”, which will stay on your record for 60 months!

There are many more protests coming as these terms of employment were not altered following state law which requires collective bargaining. The city will stand behind the faulty Consent Agreement and the language which knocks down PARA. However collective bargaining sits in many more sections of State Law. This sure sound like the realization that the fascist State of Michigan has grabbed the City of Detroit. Some are fighting back, hopefully more will wake up and rise up.

AFSCME is reminding everyone able to make the trip to Lansing tomorrow - Wednesday July 25 to be at the bus departure locations BEFORE 7am when the buses leave.