Ypsilanti Citizen News Sidetrack

City Council approves all mayor's re-appointments
By Dan DuChene
Jun. 16, 2010   ·   3:42 a.m.

Jone Coleman, president of downtown business LookInTheAttic, shares his thoughts with City Council about the discussion and procedure taken to pass mayoral re-appointments, which he was being considered for the Downtown Development Authority.

After much procedure, Ypsilanti City Council approved six mayoral re-appointments to city boards and committees Tuesday, including the two postponed from earlier...read more

Council postpones two reappointments
By Mark Tower
Jun. 4, 2010   ·   4:57 p.m.

Two of Ypsilanti's volunteer board members were not reappointed on schedule Tuesday night, owing to a 4-2 vote by City Council to delay the appointments until...read more

Downtown properties to be rehabilitated
By Mark Tower
Jun. 4, 2010   ·   10:40 a.m.

The three properties located at 120, 122 and 124 West Michigan Avenue in downtown Ypsilanti will soon be rebuilt into commercial and office space and loft apartments, thanks to a planned $1.7 million investment by developers.

Three recently-vacated properties in downtown Ypsilanti, two of them condemned, will soon be renovated owing to recent purchase by a local development company and...read more

Ypsilanti Township authorizes litigation against Liberty Square
By Mark Tower
May. 28, 2010   ·   6:53 p.m.

Many of the homes in the Liberty Square complex on Grove Street in Ypsilanti Township are already boarded and ready for foreclosure sale. All 151 units, some of which are still occupied, will be condemned Tuesday, Ypsilanti Township has resolved.

Residents living in the Liberty Square complex of townhouses will see a sticker appear on their homes Tuesday, when the Ypsilanti Township Building Department places...read more

Ford plant granted tax exemption by township
By Mark Tower
May. 24, 2010   ·   5:44 p.m.

Ford Motor Company's Rawsonville Plan, located at the intersection of Textile and Bridge Roads in Ypsilanti Township, will soon be the new home for production of Ford's Electric Focus batteries, formerly produced in Mexico.

New machines and equipment will soon be wheeled into Ford's Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti Township as it begins manufacturing a line of batteries for the new global...read more

Municipal employee's union files grievance in Ypsi Twp.

Winston Johnson, chief spoksperson for the union, said although the language for reducing hours was in the contract he would have not supported the contract had he known the township would implement it along with the other concession the union made. Photo by Christine Laughren

Winston Johnson, chief spoksperson for the union, said although the language for reducing hours was in the contract he would have not supported the contract had he known the township would implement it along with the other concession the union made.
Bombadill's

Members argue reduction in hours violates contract

By Christine Laughren
Oct. 8, 2009    ·    3:10 p.m.


Ypsilanti Township’s municipal employees union has filed a grievance against the township.

Township officials said the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union filed its grievance shortly after the Township reduced hours for municipal employees to 32 hours a week. The grievance says the township violated the terms of a recently ratified contract when it reduced the union’s hours.

“The language of the contract clearly allows the township to do this if there is an economic need,” John Hancock, the township’s labor attorney, said at Tuesday evening’s board meeting. “So if we go to arbitration the issue will be, primarily, weather or not there is an economic need to do this at this point in time.

“They don’t believe there’s an economic need and they question the timing,” he said.

The township’s three full-time managers met with the union to discuss the procedure to be followed and the reasons for reduction of hours. Hancock said he is trying to expedite the grievance process and go right to arbitration.

“The grievance sits ready to go to arbitration if they want to go for it,” Hancock said at Tuesday evening’s township board meeting. “And I have not had any further communication with them.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting Cheryl Lynn-Bruestle, chief steward for AFSCME Local 3451, said the union did not agree to a reduction of hours in exchange for 16 month of no lay-offs as written in the Township’s recent mailer. She said the union made concessions to reach the township’s goal of a 3 percent cut and did not expect the additional cut to hours.

“This additional 20 percent reduction in our pay with our agreed upon concessions is a disingenuous act by the board,” she said.

Winston Johnson, chief spoksperson for the union, said tough choices had to be made at the bargaining table.

“We were able to give the employer pretty much what they asked for,” Johnson said. “If it had been indicated to us that (a reduction in hours) was the employers wishes or desires we certainly wouldn’t have been talking to our membership about trying to support such an action.”

Related articles:
Township shortens work week to 32 hours



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