Hundreds of City Workers Protest Wage Cuts
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[WXYZ.COM] The unions organized the protest to fight back against what they call "extreme contract concessions."
While some unions have settled, others are in very delicate negotiations and say they cannot afford a 10 percent salary reduction.
Some union members make between $8-$10 per hour.
A member of the the Human Resources union says she's been receiving calls from worried workers.
"They are very upset. I get phone calls where the members are crying. They don't want to lose their jobs, but they don't think it's fair," said Eula Murray.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mayor Bing presided over the swearing in of 112 appointees. He thanked them for accepting his proposed 10% paycut.
During the swearing in ceremony, Mayor Bing explained that the city is broke. He told the group that 1,000 layoff notices have already been sent out with more likely to follow.
"The reality is that we don't have enough revenue to do what we've been doing. The city is strapped for cash as I speak. There are some things I think that we can do, but they aren't short-term fixes. The quickest way to get out of the situation we're in. People are going to be hurt. There's no doubt about it, across the board."
So far, there are no plans to lay off police or firefighters.