DETROIT — Mayor Dave Bing said Monday that more than 1,000 city workers could be laid off by Sept. 26 unless municipal unions agree to substantial concessions to close a $300 million budget deficit.
DETROIT — Mayor Dave Bing said Monday that more than 1,000 city workers could be laid off by Sept. 26 unless municipal unions agree to substantial concessions to close a $300 million budget deficit. "I’m looking at a 10 percent cut" in the work force, Bing said. An alternative, he said, would be for workers to accept 26 furlough days over the next year. In addition, the city needs to trim employees’ benefits, Bing said. He told reporters Detroit cannot sustain its current work force and compensation package in the face of the deficit. "There’s no way the city can go forward with 13,000 employees and the benefit structure we have," the mayor said. The city currently is negotiating with 50 of its bargaining units on new contracts. Messages seeking comment left Monday for Henry Gaffney, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union that represents city bus drivers, were not immediately returned. There was no answer Monday afternoon at the cell phone of John Riehl, president of the 1,000-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 207. Bing sought to dampen talk about a city bankruptcy filing without downplaying the seriousness of Detroit’s financial situation. "We will get past October … but still, I don’t want people to think we’re out of the woods," he said. Bing said he was excluding police, fire, water and emergency medical services from any near-term job cuts but said they still could come later. "I don’t want anyone to think they are safe," the mayor said. Bing said he will announce a decision on cuts in city bus service on Sept. 10. Proposed cutbacks in bus service have been the subject of volatile public hearings. Asked if he feared municipal workers might strike over the requested cuts, Bing said, "That threat doesn’t necessarily frighten me." "They (union leaders) have to do what they have to do, and so do I," he said. Associated Press writer Corey Williams contributed to this report. ______ In photo: FILE -In this Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 file photo, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing talks in his office in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
