ayor Kilpatrick and the City of Detroit unions are headed toward a showdown. The mayor is asking for outrageous concessions from us, and we haven’t seen any raises since July 2000. Negotiations will continue going nowhere until the unions’ members enter the struggle for our own interests and the very survival of our jobs. All union members now have an opportunity and obligation to enter this struggle. When city workers come into the contract fight speaking with one loud, proud and angry voice, we will be on the road to victory!

 

Building City Union Unity

 

At the end of August, 42 City of Detroit unions and associations showed unprecedented unity by signing an open letter to Mayor Kilpatrick, saying that city unions won’t accept concessions with no raises and no retroactive pay for 2001 and 2002! Among those signing the open letter were the Teamsters (garbage truck and other drivers), the ATU (bus drivers) and Michigan Council 25 President Albert Garrett. Now is the time for the members to turn up the heat to force a better offer from the mayor.

 

We Need All-Union Strike Authorization

 

On Tuesday, Sept 10, the City of Detroit AFSCME Presidents and Michigan AFSCME Council 25 decided to ask for strike authorization. All AFSCME locals will be voting on this issue within the next week (check with your local unions for dates, times and locations). This strike authorization vote includes 5,000 AFSCME members in Water & Sewerage; vehicle mechanics for the buses, garbage trucks, and other vehicles; most clerical workers in all departments; Parks & Recreation, Health Department, etc.

 

To keep building our unity, other city unions should vote for strike authorization too, as soon as possible. Let’s build a united front of all city unions with resounding YES votes for strike authorization. Strike authorization does not mean an immediate strike. In fact, it’s no guarantee of a strike at all. It does, however, give union negotiators the right to call a strike if they think it’s necessary. It’s a warning shot across the mayor’s bow, and it says that city workers will not be jerked around forever! Strike authorization also puts us further down the road to a real strike, which in reality, is the only way to win fair contracts.

 

Attend All-Union Strategy Meeting

 

On Saturday, September 21, at 9 AM, there will be an all-city-union meeting to discuss the contract struggle. This provides us the chance for rank & file unity across union affiliation lines, which is what we all need to win.  Every city worker should come to this meeting and make it clear that we will not ratify another concession contract. We must urge all union our officials to attend this meeting and to take a united fighting stance for fair contracts.

 

Picket the Mayor for Fair Contracts

 

Later that same day, at 12:00 noon, we will car caravan to the mayor’s house to picket for fair contracts. We need every city worker there. The mayor has said that it’s “inappropriate” to picket his house. This is bullshit! The picket will only last a little while, but city workers’ families have been without a raise for over 2 years, and the concessions Kilpatrick is demanding will hurt our families for many more years to come, if Kilpatrick hasn’t given the contractors all our jobs by then!

 

 

 

 

FSCME represents the most city workers. Their negotiations usually set the pattern that all city worker unions are based upon. That is why the AFSCME negotiations are crucial to all city workers. When city workers have been forced to strike, AFSCME strikes and the other unions respect their picket lines. We must have more unity to win this time. All city unions should take strike authorization votes immediately, and if we strike, we should all be on the picket lines fighting together for our common interests. Here are to way things are laying in the AFSCME negotiations. Other unions’ negotiations are in no better shape.

 

 

 

WHAT CITY WORKERS NEED

 

·        Wages – AFSCME’s official demand is for a three-year contract with a 6% increase per year. In addition we need a Cost-of-Living-Allowance so inflation doesn’t eat up our raises. Some city workers still start out making less than $6-7 per hour! Clericals are grossly underpaid. Drivers are too. Understaffing is the rule, full staffing the exception.

 

·        Hospitalization Deduction Relief – Right now the 2% “maybe” increases (dependent on State Revenue Sharing) that the mayor is offering in the last three years of his five-year contract offer would be swallowed up by huge increases in health insurance deductions. We have to reduce deductions by negotiating an updated formula for deductions.

 

·        Protection from Privatization and Contracting-Out of Our Jobs – We need real protection from privatization and contracting out of our jobs. The fight against privatization and contracting out is the fight against the take-over of our city by right-wing corporate interests. It is the fight for the future of our families, and for Detroit, one of the most important black communities in the nation. We need to strike and make our case to the community we serve and live in. Last week the City’s Registered Nurses in AFSCME Local 273 voted to walk out to protect their jobs from contracting out, and management backed off. The more united action we take, the stronger we all become.

 

·        Eliminate Evaluations – Management is demanding that evaluations given by your supervisor determine who gets overtime, promotions, transfers, step increases, etc. This is nothing but a formula for discrimination and favoritism, custom made for racist and anti-immigrant bosses, a free ticket to coerce sexual favors, and an anti-union plot designed to create disunity and competition for the bosses’ good graces, and stop union members from standing up together for our rights!

 

In addition the following official AFSCME contract demands are still on the table.

 

·        Minimum to maximum pay in your classification in three years (currently it takes six years);

 

·        Increase longevity payments by $150 for each step;

 

·        Increase afternoon shift premium from 45 cents to 92 cents, and midnight premium from 50 cents to $1.32;

 

·        Increase vacation accrual – add one more day per year for each year of service beyond 15 years;

 

·        Allow members to elect to have 10% of their pay put into their annuity accounts;

 

·        Full retirement at 25 years. Retirement formula – “Average Final Compensation” to be based on members’ highest-paid 36 months – no longer requiring that those 36 months be “consecutive months.”