Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on February 8, 2007, to revise the law authorizing the consolidation of services provided by neighboring local governments to establish that the administrative entity created under an intergovernment consolidated service agreement would not be required to pay to employees the highest wages and benefits previously paid to any of the employees, or to their preexisting union bargaining units. This language is inserted into the current law, but existing language is not removed from the law requiring that existing employees be given all their same workmen's compensation, pension, seniority, wages, sick leave, vacation, health and welfare insurance, or any other benefits

The vote was 105 in favor, 0 opposed and 5 not voting

(House Roll Call 175 at House Journal 53)

Click here to view bill details.

Senator Gleason's statement is as follows: It is not wholly and inappropriate that we address this legislation today. As the word spoke across America yesterday raised the respect of firefighters and police across this country, this legislation today shows us the police and fire in a responsible fashion. This bill prohibits local government from renegotiating the terms of employment contracts upon consolidation. The reason that this is so vitally important is because we can have the same people doing the same work without the same compensation. I don't think this is what this body is here for today--to divide the responsibilities and the results of the works that these firefighters and police do on a daily basis, protecting our families, our property, our treasures, and our communities. This statute states that nothing in the statutes would require governments to pay employees the highest compensation previously paid to any employee prior to the consolidation. My efforts today are to offer the police and fire that do indeed protect our families and our treasures fairness that we pay everyone equal compensation for equal work.