I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Because of a recent ruling by a state-appointed labor expert, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing now has the authority to unilaterally impose wage and benefit concessions on city employees who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The Detroit News reports:
Mayor Dave Bing could impose a contract on the city’s largest union after a labor fact finder determined the city’s financial crisis makes a 10 percent wage cut and health care concessions feasible.
The city and its largest union have squabbled for months over contract negotiations. Fact finding hearings were held over several months and a report was issued June 25. Findings were released today after a 60 day “cooling off” period expired Sunday to negotiate over outstanding issues.
Bing could now impose a contract on the union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
That does not mean he will do so any time soon. Negotiations continue between the city and the union. But this certainly gives the city a huge advantage in those negotiations and might force the union to agree to Bing’s demands.
Bing wants the union to accept a ten percent pay cut plus 26 furlough days a year for the next three years. AFSCME has countered with lower concessions to be imposed on all civilian city employees across the board rather than just on this union. Both sides recognize that cuts are necessary for a city still facing a huge deficit.
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