No More Takeovers!

 

Attend Public Hearing to Defeat

Racist Water Department Takeover Bill!

 

Thursday, October 24, 7 – 9 PM

(Picket In Parking Lot Behind Building – 6 PM)

Northwest Activity Center

18100 Myers at Curtis (North of 6 Mile)

 

 

 

Local 207 is building a joint city worker/community campaign to stop the racist takeover of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. Our campaign is independent of Mayor Kilpatrick’s administration’s so-called defense of the department. Only the community and city unions can be depended on to defend and advance our city. By fighting together for equal quality city services and equal quality city worker wages and benefits we can become an unbeatable force. This civil rights struggle continues Thursday, October 24, on Detroit’s West Side, Northwest Activity Center, 18100 Myers at Curtis, north of 6 Mile.

 

The Campaign to Defeat the Takeover

Officers and members of AFSCME Local 207 and 2920 passed out fliers and spoke at Public Hearings on Regionalization of Detroit’s Water & Sewerage Department in Warren and Royal Oak over the last few weeks. We have sent press releases and fliers to all major news media, and many churches and community groups. On Thursday, October 17, we jointly sponsored a rally against the takeover at the Water Building downtown. This rally was endorsed as well by SCATA/UAW 2334 (Water Dept. Chemists) and the city’s Senior Accountants, Analysts and Appraisers Association. Rallying with us were supporters of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), who have been fighting in the court rooms and the streets to keep affirmative action at the University of Michigan. The Supreme Court will hear their historic civil rights case as early as next spring.

 

Attacks Against Affirmative Action

The connection between the defense of Detroit and affirmative action is clear. A front-page Detroit News article recently said that the takeover bill’s sponsors want to end affirmative action in the letting of contracts with the department. Not that there’s much evidence of contracts going to minority or women contractors. But the takeover’s chief sponsor, Michigan State Representative Leon Drolet (R-Clinton Township), wants to bury even the idea of integration in our separate and unequal society. It’s no wonder – Drolet use to be an aide to ex-Clinton Township politician David Jaye, the bigot who started the attack on U of M’s affirmative action.

 

This is why Local 207’s has been an active supporter of the U of M affirmative action case. The few well-funded right-wing racists who are pushing the attacks on civil rights understand that these issues are tied together. This goes for takeovers, elimination of school desegregation, attacks on civil liberties, racial profiling, etc. The far-ranging nature of these assaults on so many people gives us the combined forces necessary to defeat these attacks. It is that knowledge which drives our campaign for city worker-community unity.

 

Mayor Can’t Effectively Defend Detroit

The community and city workers are not separate entities. We live in the same neighborhoods that we serve. If the mayor goes unchallenged he may pit the community against us, creating a false division. In fact it’s the mayor who serves interests other than those of the community. Big business doesn’t finance political campaigns for free. They expect politicians to pay them back with policies that are friendly to big business. Mayor Kilpatrick has been defending big business interests since he took office.

 

Attacking Us Will Not Stop the Takeover

Kilpatrick and Water Department Director Victor Mercado have displayed their sorry method of “fighting” the takeover. Rather than mobilizing the community and telling the takeover artists to take a hike, they have remained on the defensive. They have made Detroit look weak and vulnerable to further attacks. They are appeasing a small number of right-wing politicians who have been bashing Detroit to win votes from racists. And they are doing exactly what the right wing wants – they are attacking city workers! What is Kilpatrick’s “solution?” Eliminate 598 vacant positions (to stop the union from demanding that they be filled), making more department budget cutbacks, enforcing “employee performance”, and reducing overtime! Yet we’re expected to provide better service under these conditions – and without a contract or a raise!

 

Set Strike Deadline Now!

AFSCME locals have voted to strike! The longer AFSCME Council 25 officials refuse to honor the members’ will, the bolder management becomes. Management is refusing to act in good faith on everyday grievances. They’re increasing suspensions (Mercado apparently has nothing better to do than bust city workers for cashing their puny paychecks on payday!). They are refusing to bring members back to work after they agreed to do so.  At contract negotiations management tells the union presidents that they should be “responsible” and tell their members that the city really is broke. We must set a strike deadline now. All union members should continue saving for a strike, and should tell their local president to stop delaying. Delay helps management prepare.

 

Takeover: Racism, Layoffs, Privatization

There is no reason to believe the suburban water and sewerage “experts” who got busted by the Feds for purposely dumping raw sewage into the Clinton River for years can run Detroit’s Water Department more efficiently merely because they’re white. The takeover bill has specific provisions concerning privatization and layoffs, which exposes the real reason for the takeover. The takeover sponsors veil their racism with charges of “mismanagement, price-gouging and corruption.” They do this because the vast majority of suburban residents do not want to be associated with an openly racist takeover. Local 207 has loudly labeled the takeover “racist” because first off, it clearly is, but also to urge suburban ratepayers to disassociate themselves from it. Dodging the issue can not defeat racism.

 

We Can Stop the Takeover!

Many suburban politicians, for a variety of reasons, want no part of the takeover. Both the Free Press and News have editorialized against it. Federal Judge Fiekens is also against it, claiming to have Federal receivership over the whole department, even though the receivership is actually over the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Beware of Fiekens’ so-called support. He may attempt to use his supposed control over the whole department to try bust our strike.  Despite this opposition, the takeover bill may yet pass in the “lame duck” session of the state legislature. We must not let our guard down, and we must not depend on so-called allies like Kilpatrick, Mercado or Fiekens.

Preparing Our Strike Battlefield

If the Water Department is “regionalized” (taken over) city workers can expect layoffs, privatization and open union busting. We can not let this happen. And we can stop it! Hundreds of community and union members are likely to attend the last Public Hearing on the takeover. Show up at 6 PM and help picket the event before going inside. City workers should show up in big numbers and let everyone know that Detroit is not free for the taking! We must use the struggle for the Water Department to show the community that we will stand up for Detroit, and to prepare the battleground for a citywide community-supported city strike!