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Late Friday afternoon, November 4, 2011, Federal Judge Sean Cox issued an order designed to bust the unions at the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, focusing on the largest, AFSCME Local 207. The Local and Michigan AFSCME Council 25 will be filing legal action to stop this outrageous order.

John Riehl, AFSCME Local 207’s president said, “Cox’s order was supposed to help stop pollution from being released to the river from the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant. It does nothing to stop pollution. Instead it deprives the union of its rights and responsibilities to represent its members.”

Cox’s decision was issued only hours after the committee he appointed submitted their report (upon which his order was to be based). There were no hearings, no negotiations and no notice. The order’s provisions include:

• Denying elected union officers time off work to process grievances and represent the members as guaranteed by the contract.
• Eliminates all written or unwritten work rules
• Reduces seniority rights for promotions
• Allows unlimited privatization of all Water Department jobs regardless of whether or not they process waste water or fresh water, or perform other duties
• Voids the City Charter provisions guaranteeing the right of Detroit voters to a referendum before assets of the department are sold

“This is nothing but a back room deal between Mayor Bing and two City Councilpersons, approved in secret by a Federal Judge, said AFSCME Local 207’s attorney, George Washington, “It has nothing to do with ending pollution and everything to do with busting unions under the authority of a Federal Court order.”

AFSCME Local 207: 313-965-1601, 313-919-5011, 313-995-5691