Detroit’s mayor is ready to impose contracts on the city’s labor unions that will achieve the concessions city leaders say are necessary to put the city on firmer financial footing — unless the law that gives Mayor Dave Bing that power is suspended before July 1.
According to Nancy Kaffer of Crain's, the consent agreement between the state and the city of Detroit grants Bing some powers that are normally granted only to an emergency manager, especially the power to impose union contracts, but only on unions whose current contracts have expired.
This is why July 1 is important: About 80 percent of the city’s union contracts expire that day.
The consent agreement was signed in April. So if Public Act 4 is still law when union contracts expire, the mayor can impose new contracts — and he’s prepared to do so on or around July 1, Detroit COO Chris Brown confirmed in an email Monday.
It’s less clear whether PA 4 will still be law on July 1.
