DETROIT, Mich (WJBK) -- "How dare the mayor do this. It's frustrating," says June Nickleberry an AFSME City Employee.
City employees like June Nickleberry have already taken a 10 percent pay cut and now they're facing furloughs.
"They want to close city government down every Monday," says Catherine Phillips an AFSME Retiree.
And AFSME leadership says those furlough days add up to a 20 percent pay cut...and that's on top of the ten percent their members have already swallowed. And the possibility of layoffs.
"That seems like cutting off you nose to spite your face because these people if they are not already seeking public assistance will be taking dollars from tax payers under public assistance. They won't be able to survive," says Phillips.
So you can imagine their reaction when they learned that more than 11 hundred union and non-union city employees received bonuses ranging from $150 to $750. Costing the city nearly $500,000.
"So this obviously has nothing to do with money or budget issues or finances. This has to do with control and takeover," says Phillips
"He's full of it. And it ain't right what he's doing," says Nickleberry.
So what's Mayor Bing have to say. His office says those bonuses were an 89 percent decrease from last year's payout of more than 4 million dollars. The mayor's statement says longevity bonus payments made to union employees were the result of previously negotiated contracts. The mayor brought council a resolution to end longevity bonuses this summer and they approved it in September. The law department is preparing an ordinance amendment to end longevity payments for non-union employees. The mayor says in part "One of my frustrations is that the city processes are antiquated and the length of time needed to bring about change is often inefficient and counterproductive. I expect that once the appropriate ordinance is received by city council, the longevity bonus payments will end for non union employees."
"It just seems like it's unfair that they keep treating us like this," says Nickleberry.
The layoffs and furloughs are expected to go into effect sometime next year.
Thursday, May 16 2013 9:04 PM EDT2013-05-17 01:04:18 GMT
13 people were shot in Detroit in just 24 hours, five from one block, including a woman who was just hours away from a kidney transplant. She did not survive.
13 people were shot in Detroit in just 24 hours, five from one block, including a woman who was just hours away from a kidney transplant. She did not survive.
Thursday, May 16 2013 8:23 PM EDT2013-05-17 00:23:43 GMT
54-year-old Almeter Walls was set to have a transplant surgery on Thursday, but instead she is dead. We're told she was shot when a neighborhood argument ended in gunfire. The shooting also left four others wounded.
54-year-old Almeter Walls was set to have a transplant surgery on Thursday, but instead she is dead. We're told she was shot when a neighborhood argument ended in gunfire. The shooting also left four others wounded.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 9:01 PM EDT2013-05-16 01:01:40 GMT
Recess at Academy of the Americas in southwest Detroit is 20 minutes out of the day where all kids have to do is play, and that time is more valuable than you think.
Recess at Academy of the Americas in southwest Detroit is 20 minutes out of the day where all kids have to do is play, and that time is more valuable than you think.
Sunday, May 19 2013 10:33 AM EDT2013-05-19 14:33:58 GMT
This time we're talking about a new requirement in Royal Oak that has some dog owners taking out $1 million insurance policies on their pooches. Plus, Waterford Township is considering repealing their
Should owners of dangerous dogs have to take out $1 million insurance policies? Are pit bull bans a good idea? Plus, should the minimum wage be raised to $15 an hour?
Sunday, May 19 2013 12:01 AM EDT2013-05-19 04:01:16 GMT
It was supposed to be their big night, but prom turned into a big headache for teens from a local high school. Police showed up to crack down on an unauthorized limo service.
It was supposed to be their big night, but prom turned into a big headache for teens from a local high school. Police showed up to crack down on an unauthorized limo service.
Friday, May 17 2013 11:55 PM EDT2013-05-18 03:55:04 GMT
"We intend to build cars in North America for [the] North American market, build cars in Europe for the European market and build them in Asia for the Asian market," said Don Graunstadt.
"We intend to build cars in North America for [the] North American market, build cars in Europe for the European market and build them in Asia for the Asian market," said the CEO of North American Operations for the electric car company.
Friday, May 17 2013 10:19 PM EDT2013-05-18 02:19:58 GMT
It can creep up on you without you realizing it. One day you step on the scale and you're obese. That's what happened to a St. Clair Shores woman who never though she would lose the weight.
It can creep up on you without you realizing it. One day you step on the scale and you're obese. That's what happened to a St. Clair Shores woman who never though she would lose the weight.
Friday, May 17 2013 8:43 PM EDT2013-05-18 00:43:34 GMT
Sabrina Gianino was found dead with a cord around her neck inside a Grosse Pointe Park home early Thursday morning. The medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide.
Sabrina Gianino was found dead with a cord around her neck inside a Grosse Pointe Park home early Thursday morning. The medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide.
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