On Saturday, February 11, 2012, Michigan AFSCME Council 25 will host our Thirty-Eighth Annual Dinner commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The gala event will begin with cocktails at 6:00 PM and dinner at 7:00 PM at the impressive Hyatt Regency Dearborn Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan.  This year's theme for the observance is:

The Power of a Monumental Dream!

Read more >>>

The link referenced in the mailer you received is below:

The Pledge form for Stand Up for Democracy is available on the link below, in PDF format.  We need your support!

This afternoon, 06-30-2011,  the Senate Caucus launched an online petition drive calling for passage of our constitutional amendment to protect collective bargaining rights of Michigan citizens and the defeat of “Right to Work” legislation.

You may have heard about the new study, "New Solutions for Michigan."  It has been in the news, and Lansing State Journal's lead editorial called on the governor and his henchmen to take heed of this study. . .

Click here to sign up to be a petition circulator in your area. We will contact you with more information.

Council 25 now has a Facebook page and a Twitter account!

E-Mail Blast issued 01-31-2012: Read more >>>

E-Mail Blast issued 01-31-2012: Read more >>>

Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee after Pres. Obama’s State of the Union address Read more >>>

E-Mail Blast issued 01-05-2012:

E-Mail Blast issued on 10-20-2011:

E-Mail blast issued on 08-08-2011:

E-Mail Blast issued on 07-14-2011:

E-Mail Blast issued by Michigan AFL-CIO on 07-12-2011:

E-Mail Blast issued on 07-11-2011:

The House of Representatives has passed an attempt to blend the 80/20 approach to health care funding and the 'hard cap' approach.

This is now before the Senate.

Urgent!   Act NOW!

RIGHT NOW - The House and Senate are looking at 2 proposals dealing with public employee health care SB 7 and HB 4572.
SB7 is a bill that prohibits the employer from paying more than 80% of workers’ health care. If this passes public employees will have to pay thousands more in health care.
Simultaneously, HB 4572 creates a rigid cap on public employers contributions to workers. This will impose a huge burden on Michigan working families.
Both of these bills tie the hands of the public employer during negotiations and forces the worker to pay thousands in new costs.

E-Mail Blast issued on 06-28-2011:

The Referendum Petition Drive to stop the Local Dictators Law (PA 4) was launched on 06-18-2011, in 13 cities around Michigan.

MI CITIZENS LAUNCH STATEWIDE AD CAMPAIGN SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND REPEALING EMERGENCY MANAGERS’ LAW
Move is a prelude to the Stand Up for Democracy statewide ballot initiative restoring democracy and representative government at the local level and opposing emergency manager powers


Detroit – Michigan citizens from Detroit, Benton Harbor, Flint, Grand Rapids, Traverse City and Marquette are launching the Stand Up for Democracy statewide advertising campaign. The purpose of the ad campaign is to raise awareness and support for a ballot initiative repealing Public Act 4. PA 4 is the new law giving emergency managers sweeping powers.

E-Mail Blast issued on 06-14-2011:

 The Local Dictator Law and the reality of Local Dictators (Emergency Managers) have been attracting the attention of the media nationwide.  Here are a couple of examples, dealing with the problem in Benton Harbor:

http://michiganmessenger.com/tag/jean-klock-park  

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#42654363  

E-Mail Blast issued 06-08-2011.  Full text follows:

Issued as an E-Mail Blast on 05-31-2011:

Overview of Pension Taxation under New Law

Prepared by Ellen Hoekstra, Capitol Services, Inc.
May 27, 2011

E-Mail Blast issued by Michigan AFL-CIO on 05-17-2011:

Stop Gov. Snyder’s Tax Handout to CEOs

Governor Snyder and the politicians in Lansing are playing games with taxes again. They want to cut the taxes for their big business cronies by $1.8 billion and guess who he wants to pay?   http://action.afscme.org/c/346/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2134

Celeste Santi is a student from Kingsford High School and the daughter of Anthony Santi, a member of Local 1176.

The essay which was a part of her winning entry follows:

Tell the Legislature that our tax dollars should be spent on Michigan’s Kids and Education, not on handouts to rich CEOs

Posted on 04-27-2011:

E-Mail Blast issued on 04-26-2011:

E-Mail Blast issued on 04-20-2011:

On Thursday, April 14, 2011, the Michigan House of Representatives passed House Bill 4059.  This measure prohibits public employee collective bargaining agreements from including paid union leave time provisions.  HB 4059 now goes to the Michigan Senate.  (For the full text of this bill, please follow the link below.)

If enacted, this bill would bar release time for stewards and officers to conduct business such as investigating, writing, and preparing grievances.  These tasks would have to be done on off-duty time, with a variety of additional complications.  The bill would disrupt labor-management relationships developed over decades, and would not produce cost savings.  IT would, however, make life more difficult for stewards and officers, and also human resources staff.

It is vital that you contact your State Senator and urge him or her to oppose HB 4059!

E-Mail Blast issued on 04-14-2011:

Do you have questions?

Do you need more information?

E-Mail: michiganbattleground@afscme.org

News Flash - 04-04-2011

Ingham County Circuit Judge James Giddings has ruled the 2010 law requiring public school employees to contribute three percent of their salary toward retiree health care is unconstitutional.

E-Mail Blast issued by Michigan AFL-CIO on 03-17-2011:

Daily Bill Notification

Database of pending legislation impacting labor.

Judge William Collette of the Ingham County Circuit Court has ruled that the law requiring a three percent deduction for retiree health care from state employees is unconstitutional and unenforceable. 

AFSCME's Nick Ciaramitaro has prepared a one-page, bulleted list of the "highlights" of Governor Snyder's budget proposal.

A package of House Bills to greatly expand the powers of Emergency Financial Managers (like Robert Bobb!) is on the fast track in the State Legislature.

The package was adopted on 03-15-2011, and signed by the Governor on 03-16-2011.

Wayne County Commissioner Timothy Killeen has introduced a Resolution which would block the 20 percent wage cut imposed by County Executive Robert Ficano, and force Ficano to submit the measure to action by the Commission.

Please contact your Commissioners and urge them strongly to support the Resolution.  Tell them what the 20 percent cut means to you and your family!

The court has declined to issue an injunction barring Ficano's 20 percent cut, but the lawsuit continues.

This Alert was issued on 12-20-2010, updating Wayne County Members on developments in the ongoing struggle.

Please take time to view the video and place your signature on the letter as requested in the article on the "Stop the LIes!" campaign.  However, if you're short of time, here's the link: http://www.afscme.org/press/33847.cfm

Just click on that hotlink and you're on the way.

Update: 12-08-2010:

The class action lawsuit described below was the subject of a hearing conducted by the Honorable William E. Collette on Wednesday, December 08, 2010.

Judge Collette issued an injunction similar to one already protecting school employees, requiring the State to place the three percent funds in an escrow account, and to retain these funds without using them until the lawsuits are resolved.  The new injunction protects state employees and court employees.

We have just received this bulletin from Michigan HRDI regarding financial help for Michigan homeowners.

The Family and Medical Leave Act underwent significant changes in 2009.
This workshop provides an overview of the Act and will update you on the changes that went into effect and keep you current on the clarifications in the law.

Follow the link below for information from the United Community Housing Coalition in Detroit.  In addition, members facing foreclosure. . .