Lansing mayor answers critics on waning union support

Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero, flanked by campaign manager Patrick McAlvey talks to supporters at the grand opening of his re-election headquarters. (Photo by Todd A. Heywood/Michigan Messenger)

LANSING — Incumbent Mayor Virgil Bernero is answering charges that local unions are bailing on his re-election campaign, saying in an interview with Michigan Messenger that he has “plenty of labor support.”

Earlier this month the fast-talking mayor was facing stiff opposition from many Lansing-area union locals, particularly those representing workers at City Hall. Those unions expressed their disappointment with Bernero on June 1 by refusing to participate in an event, the Save the American Dream Rally, co-hosted by Bernero and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

“I know some journalists, some outfits, have been trying to say that there is a lack of labor [support] and that’s just false,” Bernero said.

But Bernero lost the endorsement of several local unions earlier this month, including the Teamsters 580, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 665, Lansing Building Trades and Bricklayers Local 9. Those unions swung their endorsements to opponent Carol Wood, an at-large council member widely seen as the mayor’s likely challenger after the August primary. Two other candidates, attorney Charles Ford, who is a Lansing School Board member and former city council member; and student Ben Hassenger, are also on the August ballot.

The swing of those locals to Wood helped move the Lansing Labor Council to issue a non-endorsement in the primary race. A non-endorsement by the Labor Council allows each individual union to endorse as they see fit. Four years ago, Bernero picked up all these union endorsements in his bid to replace Tony Benevides, the city’s first Hispanic mayor.

Bernero said he had picked up the endorsement of IBEW Local 352, which represents electricians working for the city-owned Board of Water and Light. The United Auto Workers Local 2256, which represents employees for the city of Lansing, has declined to endorse in the primary.

In his interview with Michigan Messenger, conducted at the grand opening of his re-election headquarters June 11, Bernero said he does not expect to get as much support in his re-election bid as he did four years ago.

“No, we won’t have as much official support,” Bernero said. “You know it’s easier to do this as a non-incumbent because you haven’t governed. I was a senator and I really had not had a chance to work with a lot of these people. I certainly wasn’t anybody’s boss. So it’s natural you’re not going to have that same level [of support] particularly when you’re talking about city hall unions.”

Bernero said some of the dissatisfaction arose from the city’s precarious financial situation. The city has cut budgets for the last four years, without layoffs. These moves, he said, resulted in the city having a $10 million reserve and a Double-A bond rating. He noted that the cuts to employment in the city had been accomplished through attrition.

“I think I lead by example,” Bernero said, claiming there were no “bloated” administration or mayoral staff positions.

“We’re all giving. We’re asking everybody for sacrifice,” he said. “But still, asking for sacrifice is not always appreciated. So it’s no surprise to me that some of the unions, some of organized labor, have bailed.”