FLINT -- Flint city leaders may be closer to saving some jobs after nearly 100 layoff notices went out to city employees within the last two weeks. Mayor Dayne Walling told NBC25 on Sunday that key unions are close to job-saving deals.
“With our AFSCME unions, negotiations had started this summer and they made great progress in the last few weeks, so I’m very optimistic we could have tentative agreements in place for members to vote on within the next week or so,” Walling said.
AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) represents a bulk of nearly 80 non-public safety jobs. Walling said clerical and support staff in the “city clerk’s offices, the city council office (and) the finance department,” were all targeted places for reductions.
Walling is still pushing for at least 10 percent in concessions to help erase a $5 million deficit in the fiscal year. However, he said some grants may be able to save a handful of those positions.
Meanwhile negotiations look to be more difficult for public safety unions. This past week, the firefighters union struck down a concessions agreement that would have required firefighters to pay more of their health care costs out of pocket.
Also, the city handed out 20 pink slips to police officers which are slated to take effect by the middle of the month. Walling said negotiations will continue.
“If either side comes up with a proposal then we’ll get right back together and go through the numbers but we’ve got to get that double digit concession,” he said. “This is a tough economy, and there’s got to be some real change.”
