UAW opens negotiations with State of Michigan

LANSING -- The State of Michigan today joined UAW President Bob King and UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada for a news conference for the official handshake signifying the start of 2011 labor negotiations.  

State workers hope to negotiate a contract that is fair to a public sector workforce facing possible budget cutbacks in a state undergoing economic downturn challenges. State workers are willing to do their share to help Michigan’s economic recovery and would like to see a strong economic comeback that includes equal sacrifice among workers and their employers.

State of Michigan workers represented by UAW Local 6000 are employed in various sectors of state service, including human services and administrative supporting bargaining unit members.

The noneconomic portions of the contract for 17,000 members of Local 6000 expire Dec. 31, 2011, and the economic portions expire in September 2012.

“Our negotiations with the state this year are a top priority,” said UAW President Bob King.

"It's no secret that Governor Snyder wants to dramatically reduce the compensation of our hard-working members, but we know there are more effective ways to save the state money. We're prepared to propose innovative solutions to make state operations work smarter and potentially save the state even more than the governor is seeking, while still protecting good, middle-class jobs,” said Estrada, who directs the union’s Public Sector and Health Care Servicing Department, which will lead negotiations on behalf of Local 6000.

“If the governor doesn’t address the structural inefficiencies in the state and just focuses on compensation reduction, he’s going to have to keep coming back to the table year after year because the real problems will remain unresolved,” Estrada added.

Local 6000 President Ed Mitchell said he’s ready for some tough negotiating to demand fairness for state workers.

“I believe that this will be the most difficult bargaining that Local 6000 will have experienced to date,” he said. “The state earned about $400 million in surpluses this year and still wants concessions.”