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October 5, 2009
Detroit - Mayor Dave Bing met for three hours with leaders of the city's largest union, but reported no progress and warned that more layoffs could be coming.
Bing said the city has presented its final offer to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 25, which represents about 3,500 of the 13,000 workers. But he said the union has rejected any concessions, including his call for a 10 percent pay cut.
"They won't agree to it," he said, adding six other unions have ratified similar concession agreements.
Catherine Phillips, the lead negotiator for AFSCME, acknowledged the city had presented its "last best offer," but she believes her members still have some leverage.
"We think there is still some negotiating we can do," said Phillips, who refused to say on exactly what issues the city and the union are in agreement.
Bing wants changes to the union contract, which must be approved by union members before being implemented.
The city and union are working on a pair of fact-finding reports and using a mediator.
Bing's office is working to identify the unions that have agreed to concessions.
The mayor said more layoffs would occur in the next several weeks if progress wasn't made, but Bing would not give a hard timeline or hard numbers on jobs that could be lost.
"We have to work together," said Bing, after meeting with AFSCME leaders in their offices on Lafayette and Third.
Since taking office, Bing has said the city's finances are in dire shape, and he needs to make drastic changes to trim the city's $300 million deficit.
Bing had vowed to lay off 1,000 workers by the end of September if unions didn't agree to pay cuts. But he backtracked, and eventually laid off 230 employees on top of the 206 his administration has let go. Nonunion managers and appointees also have had 10 percent pay cuts.
While Bing met with AFSCME leaders, his challenger in the Nov. 3 election, Tom Barrow, was in the same building, receiving the endorsement of the Eastside Community Slate. Following the lead of a handful of other groups, the slate rescinded its endorsement of Bing.
Barrow criticized Bing for asking union members to take salary and benefit reductions while the city has not been forthcoming on internal numbers that give a better portrait of city finances.
"It is easy to just blame the workers," Barrow said.
The group has endorsed the winner of every mayoral primary and general election since its founding in 1982, according to a release from Barrow.
"Mayor Bing has snubbed the city of Detroit and openly disrespects its people," said Lamar Lemmons, III, one of the leaders of the slate said in a prepared statement. "He has no sense of community. He won't come out, and he refuses to debate issues affecting the community."
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