September 2011
New Solutions Ideas Being Considered by Governor
This appeared in the September 14, 2011 edition of Gongwer:
SNYDER: WILLING TO LOOK AT STATE EMPLOYEE UNION IDEAS
Governor Rick Snyder said Tuesday he is open to state employee union recommendations to save money through changes to management structure and private contracting, but as part of an overall review that includes long-term reforms for state workers’ benefits.
At a Grand Rapids town hall hosted by WOOD-TV, a state employee asked Mr. Snyder why he wasn’t considering union recommendations to save $145 million as an alternative to the $145 million in concessions he is seeking before October 1.
Mr. Snyder said he has read the union’s recommendations.
“There are good pieces in it,” he said. “So I agree with the general direction. In terms of believing that I can achieve all of those results, I find some of that challenging.”
Union officials have said the state could reap the savings it needs through reducing the number of managers and cutting spending on private contractors (Gongwer News Service has a contract to provide subscriptions to state employees).
“I’m happy to look at the management structure question in relationship to the number of managers,” he said. “I’m happy to look at private contracting to say are there better ways, more efficient ways of doing that. I believe there are.”
But Mr. Snyder said such discussions must also involve long-term savings on what the state spends for workers. His administration is seeking additional contributions toward retiree health care and reduced retiree health care benefits.
“Hopefully, not people’s salaries and wages,” he said. “It’s about us working together.”
Michigan GOP House Votes Hurt Workers’ Rights
The September 5, 2011 edition of “Inside Michigan Politics” identified the state house on a “most conservative to most liberal” scale using actual House Roll Call votes on 25 key litmus test issues. It is important to note that, of the twenty five pieces of legislation promoted by the GOP-controlled House, 28% were blatantly anti-union/anti-worker bills.
Here are the seven most egregious:
3/10/11, Roll Call #32, House Bill (HB) 4152, establishing that when a government employee union contract has expired and no replacement pact has been negotiated, any seniority based automatic pay hikes for individual employees (“step increases”) may not occur (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
3/25/11, Roll Call #34, HB 4214, increasing power of local emergency financial managers to cancel or amend existing government or school employee union collective bargaining agreements and other contracts (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
4/14/11, Roll Call #76, HB 4059, banning government worker union contracts that pay employees who are union officials for time they spend on the job conducting union business (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
4/14/11, Roll Call #77, Senate Concurrent Resolution 9, rejecting the state Civil Service Commission’s extension of health benefits to the live-in partners of state employees (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
4/28/11, Roll Call #91, HB 4480, repealing the exemption for state employee pension income from the state income tax (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
6/30/11, Roll Call #297, HB 4628, prohibiting public school employee unions from bargaining over staffing decisions, including assignments, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, methods for assessing “effectiveness,” discipline, and merit pay systems (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)
8/24/11, Roll Call #316, Senate Bill 7, prohibiting the state and local governments, public schools, and colleges and universities from providing employee health insurance benefits whose premiums cost more than $5,500 for a single person, $11,000 for a couple or $15,000 for a family plan, or, alternatively, requiring employees to contribute at least 20% toward the cost (Y=Conservative, No=Liberal)