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GeneseeTownshipTheTruth
F L I N T O I D
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As of Thursday 06/10/2010 at 0700 AM, 6 full-time police officers will be layed off from Genesee Township. Let me give you a little history on this one. Back in late Novemberish 2009 Steve Fuhr, Genesee Township Supervisor came to MAP (Michigan Association of Police) advising us that they were is desperate need of some money with a budget deficit of approximately 300,000 dollars. MAP union members agreed to a consession, opened our contract and went with different medical insurance (cheaper one) saving the township 300,000 dollars and took the conession. Having said that, Steve Fuhr then approached MAP union members stating that the 2010 Buget is balanced and it looks good, 28 days later, Mr. Steve Fuhr approached MAP union members and advised them that the Township is now 451,000 dollars in the hole again and will have to layoff officers.
Citizens packed the Township board meeting in December 2009 claming that they wanted an assessment to save police officers jobs insted of laying off officers. The board voted and approved the assessment but later decided to put it to a vote to the citizens. The Township could have just added the assessment to the taxes but insted decided to take it to a vote.
In Janurary 2010, Genesee Township Police lost a highly respected officer David Strong, Officer Strong was a full-time officer who died suddenly, along with Dave Strongs death, Sgt. Terry Clemens retired and Det. Todd Beard is set to retire next month. With the Township in the red with the deficit, the loss of the three employees still did not change the deficit, with the deficit staying at a meer 451,000 in the red.
Officers were given the oppertunity to take a 6.5 percent concession (pay cut) which was denied by MAP employees until the township showed numbers of the deficit, in the books which they failed to show MAP employees. So the conession did not fly until we seen numbers.
Officers were at events placed on by members of the Genesee Township Police Department in an attempt to raise money and educate the citizens of Genesee Township on the assessment along with board meetings held at Kearsly highschool.
May 4th 2010 the assessment vote took place in the Township, the vote failed by approximately 400 votes.
After the May 4th vote, Mr. Steve Fuhr (Township Supervisor) advised Officers and not the MAP union that all full-time officers would be going to 32 hours a week (64 hours every two weeks) causing every full-time officer to go part-time and not lose their benifits. MAP found out about Mr. Fuhrs little game and Mr. Fuhr was advised that he could not do that. Mr. Fuhr was advised that we had a contract and had to follow the contract. Three unfair labor practice suits were filed on the Township for that act by Mr. Fuhr. Mr. Fuhr then changed his mind and lost all three suits.
A special Genesee Township Board meeting was held in mid May 2010 with a vote of laying off 6 full-time officers from the department and keeping all part-time staff working which is a huge violation in our contract. The contract states: All reserve officers will be layed off first then part-time officers along with probationary employees before a full-timer is layed off. No part-time officer is supposed to be working if any full-timer is layed off. Well guess what, all part-timers are keeping their jobs while six full-timers lose their jobs. It is written clear as day in the MAP contract. Genesee Township is violating the contract and ithey will have huge consiquences to pay for this. The new Genesee Township board has hired 4 part-time officers, promoted 2 sergeants to Lieutenants, with a pay raise and also hired an outside chief since their term in office even knowing of the deficit.
The 6 full-time officers were offered part-employment through the Township which all 6 officers did not respond to an email sent out by the chief of police, denying the part-time because it is a clear violation of our contract by layoff procedure. No part-timers are to work if a full-timer is layed off. And if the any full-timer was going to part-time, they will never get their full-time job back because they voulantary reduced themselves. Mr. Fuhr has been advised that there will be several more unfair labor practices suits to follow if the above layoff plan happens.
With all the above being said, MAP union members agreed to a ten percent pay reduction last week, going from 84 hours to 80 hours (12 hour shifts to 8 hour shifts) last week also four holidays taken in Comp insted of pay and detectives will take a 3 percent pay cut, losing their on call pay to save these 6 officers jobs. MAPE union members (secratary union) also agreed to a pay concession of ten percent. Mr. Fuhr comes back from his vacation on Monday 06/07/2010 and says no deal to the ten percent concession. Mr. Fuhr said 20 percent or nothing, Mrs. Kathy Sutton stated that it was also not good enough making a comment stating that we will just close the doors to the police department and have the state police come in and take over. Also which was mentioned that the Township is going to be sending a letter to the unemployment office advising them that all the 6 full-time officers denied part-time employment causing all 6 full-timers to lose all their unemployment benfits. Funny huh!. Nobody else in the Township is getting layed off, fire department, secratarys, part-timers.
The Township is making it look like officers have not been willing to take any consessions, which Chief Sorenson lied to the public on local news TV 25 in the last board meeting with his statement earlier last month stating "there is nothing more that they could do because the union would not take consessions". (bullshit)
Chief Sorenson at his only departmental meeting held in early 2009 told everyone at the Department that he would be the first one to get layed off before any full-timer was layed off, well guess what, he is not going to because he says we would not take consessions, which is another lie.
Genesee Township Board meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday 06/08/2010. I strongly suggest all concerned citizens attend this meeting. |
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Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:27 am |
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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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| I am not going to be there, please let me know how it goes. |
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Steve Myers |
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Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:41 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Flint officers also offered concessions, but ehy were never enough. Part of the problem is the severe cuts in revenue sharing from the state which impacts the general fund of all communities. |
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Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:47 pm |
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