BAY CITY -- At least 12 Bay City government jobs may be lost for good now that the Utility Workers Union of America Local 542 failed to pass a cost-reducing contract under a critical deadline. The tentative agreement reached Friday between union leaders and city administrators would have saved those jobs and met the 10.8 percent in reductions long sought by City Manager Robert Belleman.
Sources close to the contract voting told NBC25 the agreement failed by a 2-1 margin. One of the sticking points was a requirement that workers take 30 furlough days through 2014, the term of the deal.
Local 542 represents the majority of city workers and Bay City Mayor Charles Brunner said at one point nearly 25 workers received pink slips.
After this Friday, those people originally laid off on June 30 would see those positions eliminated. However sources in the union tell NBC25 some of those jobs could be reinstated if the city commission approves a plan doing so. It is not clear how likely that is to happen.
In the mean time Brunner praised some other city bargaining units for reaching deals.
“We have two bargaining units that have agreed for sure to the 10.8 percent reduction. We have one in mediation. That’s the police department,” he said. Mediation can be costly, running into the six figures for municipalities. The police department lost five officers over summer and one commander.
City leaders took heat for making cuts to public safety and other areas, while agreeing to fund a $1.7 million dollar roof replacement for city hall. Construction work has since begun on that project.
