With jobs on the line and benefits packages being threatened, 16 of the 19 non-union township employees have decided it’s time to unionize.
‘Over a number of years when it would come time for negotiations of the other unions, non-union always had to take a backseat and we did not have any say as to what our benefits or anything were,? said Sharon Howard, Independence Township worker for 19 years.
Non-union employees, which include all full-time department directors, department assistant directors, and administrative assistants, filed a petition March 24 to join Teamsters Local 214, based out of Detroit.
Dave Wagner, Independence Township supervisor, said it was a ‘disappointing day? for him.
‘I’ve spent my life working with large groups that have been unionized and non-unionized and one of my strong points is the ability to get along with the workforce and have a very good working relationship with them,? said Wagner
‘It’s unfortunate that it’s had to come to this ? to have this come up and take away all the positive things that are going on in the township is very disappointing.?
Reasons for unionizing include proposed changes to the non-union personnel manual, said Dave Belcher, Building Department director.
A change to the Counseling and Discipline section would make workers at-will employees. Current policy prohibits discipline or discharge without ‘just cause.? The revised version would allow employee termination with or without cause.
Changes, which would also affect health insurance and benefits for retirees, were to be proposed at the township board meeting on Dec. 4.
However, the proposal for the revised manual was removed from the township-board agenda and has not been discussed by the board since.
Shelagh VanderVeen, Independence Township clerk, said she worked with former Deputy Supervisor Chuck Herring, Susan Hendricks and Renee Poole from the finance department, Deputy Clerk Paula Heenan, and Greg Schultz, township attorney, on making changes in the manual.
‘As you can see by all the players in there, I’m just one player,? said Vanderveen. ‘Everybody had a hand in that and now they’re pushing their chair back and leaving me standing out there.?
She said changes in the manual to ‘at will? was because of lawsuits relating to the firing of two non-union employees.
Laura Amtsbuechler, attorney representing the township, suggested revising the employee manual.
‘There were inconsistencies that kept being brought up by different staff members,? said VanderVeen. ‘We had a lawsuit pending that brought up these inconsistencies.?
To fire a ‘just-cause? employee, the supervisor must complete a ‘laundry list? of steps, including verbal reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, and then discharge, she said.
‘Well, those (steps) were not done in those (lawsuit) cases,? said VanderVeen.
The ‘at will? change is scary,? said Mike Turk, who worked for the township for 32 years and is director of Independence Township Parks and Recreation.
‘The scariest part of it is the current board members are not going to be here forever,? Turk said. ‘When a new board member comes in, they may know a building director, or a fire chief, or a parks and recreation director from another township that they’re good friends with, and say ‘sayonara? to the rest of them.?
Turk said his main reason for joining the union was not fear of losing his job, but others he works with.
‘My concern was for other directors who’ve worked here for quite some period,? he said. ‘So I basically agreed to sign the card knowing that they would be protected.?
Director of Public Works Director Linda Richardson, who has worked for the township for 31 years, said she remembers 20 years ago when department heads were able to put together a package of what they wanted and give it to the township board.
‘Then, the township supervisor or board would look at it and either ‘yay? or ‘nay? it. Some of the things we have are because the old department heads got these benefits for us,? she said. ‘They just keep whittling away at our benefits and we don’t have a say, so this would be the only way we could protect our benefits, even for the current retirees, so this does give us a voice.?
Fire Chief Steve Ronk said having a union will give them a ‘place at the table? to discuss wages and benefits.
‘It’s a group that has really never formed and takes whatever comes down the pipe. It’s not hostility, there are no immediate demands, there’s no war that’s going to go on,? he said. ‘This is really just so within the next year this group will be able to negotiate, at least talk about wages and benefits.?
A public hearing with the Michigan Employment Relations Committee, Independence Township, and Teamsters Local 214 is set for 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 20, at Employee Relations, Cadillac Place, 3026 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 2-700, in Detroit.