Register today for free 2020 Grievance Seminars
Local Executive Board Members and Local Stewards are encouraged to attend 2020 Grievance Seminars on Fridays at the MAP Office.
The free seminars, conducted by MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner, will provide valuable information about key grievance issues. We suggest all members from the Local Executive Boards and Local Stewards attend. Seminars begin at 10 a.m. and lunch will be served.
Contract Interpretation Grievance Seminars are scheduled for: Jan. 31, April 24, July 31 and Oct. 30, 2020. Grievance Seminars focusing on Discipline are scheduled for: March 27, June 26, Sept. 25 and Dec. 18, 2020. Details can be found on the website Calendar.
Please register as soon as possible as space is limited to 12 people per seminar on a first-come basis. To register, call Julie Palmquist at (248) 509-7158, ext. 231 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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If you would like to share news with MAP's Facebook site, please click on "Send Message" on the MAP Facebook page to send an Instant Message through Messenger or email MAP Labor Relations Specialist Jerald James at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Internet, sports betting bills, state budget heads to Governor's desk, Secretary of State offers more kiosks
On their last session day of the year before the holidays, the House and Senate sent a 10-bill package of Internet and sports betting legislation to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is expected to sign them into law. The House and Senate also passed and sent to the Governor a deal between Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Whitmer for the Fiscal Year 2020 budget. In addition to the $573.5 million in restored spending in two supplemental bills (SBs 152 and 154) Gov.
Whitmer agreed to give the Legislature a 30-day heads up if the state Administrative Board attempts to move money around with departments (HB 5176). This notice gives the Legislature the ability to act pre-emptively. The Secretary of State is replacing 93 old kiosks with new user-friendly self-service stations and adding 57 more for a total of 150. New stations will be located in grocery stores, including Kroger and Meijer, where many customers already do business. Customers will pay a technology fee of $3.95 for every vehicle renewed at a self-service station. Gov. Whitmer is urging the Legislature to pass legislation to pause the implementation of Michigan Medicaid work requirements until the federal courts determine if they are legal. But Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey told the press, “Nope, not necessary.” Cameras could be added to school bus stop-arms through HB 5041, which would allow for school buses to photograph or video the license plate numbers of cars that pass illegally while students are loading or unloading. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist has signed into law SB 174, requiring producers to make sure all Michigan egg-laying hens are in cage-free systems. The law takes effect in December 2024.
For more information on these and other legislative issues, please click here for the December 2019 Karoub Report.
Sterling Heights Police help local boy celebrate his love of police, provide holiday cheer to needy kids
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor with excerpts from news media
Sterling Heights Police are known for helping children in their community. But it was still surprising for a local 5-year-old to receive a mini electric version of a Sterling Heights Police cruiser.
“His parents walked into the station and said he loves the police,” said Sterling Heights Police Association President Mike Kunath. Sterling Heights resident Zeke Campbell visited the station on different occasions throughout the year and has even stopped by to see officers at community events. “He would wear his little police uniform,” said Kunath, who is also MAP Executive Board Vice President.
“The guys love him,” said Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski in a clickondetroit.com article. “The guys found out his birthday was coming up, so we put the call out and asked if anyone wanted to chip in for a present.”
Officers visited him for his birthday, singing Happy Birthday, and giving him some unique presents - a new police “uniform” with his name embroidered on it, a custom-made badge pendant and the mini electric police car.
“The car is an exact replica of our police cars,” said Dwojakowski in the clickondetroit.com article.
“The car actually has the same miniature decals that are on the (Sterling Heights) police cars,” Kunath said. “It has a working PA and Bluetooth on it.”
“He has said many times that he wants to be a police officer. He said it is because he wants to help people and to arrest them for breaking speed limits,” said Sara Campbell, the boy’s mother, to clickondetroit.com. “It has made our world,” she said of the officers visit and gifts. “But I know it has really completely made our son’s world."
State budget on hold, 17 year olds no longer 'adults' in crimes, deer baiting debated, sports betting supported
While lawmakers take their annual Thanksgiving/hunting break until Dec. 3, the supplemental budget will remain unresolved. Depending on the dollars Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed when she signed the FY 2020 budget, certain groups are beginning to seriously feel the pinch. Under legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Whitmer, Michigan’s 17-year-olds would no longer be automatically charged and treated as adults for any criminal offense under the 18 “Raise the Age” bills. If legislation overturning the Natural Resources Commission deer baiting ban reaches the Governor's desk, her press secretary has confirmed the Governor will veto it. The House passed a package of legislation that would legalize sports betting and internet gaming that comes after Governor Rick Snyder vetoed similar legislation late last year. The Reproductive Health Act, a package of soon-to-be-introduced House Democrat-backed legislation, supported by Gov. Whitmer, would roll back all current restrictions on abortion in Michigan, including the statutory ban ruled inactive by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling in Roe v. Wade. The Attorney General’s office has filed a brief asking the Michigan Supreme Court to instantly bypass the Michigan Court of Appeals and vacate the Court of Claims preliminary injunction stopping the Governor’s ban on flavored vaping products. Gov. Whitmer has signed into law legislation reducing the tax implications of installing solar panels on roofs of homes and businesses. Business owners and homeowners installing solar panels on their roofs will no longer see an immediate property tax bump on their biannual bill. For more information on these and other legislative issues, please click here for the November 2019 Karoub Report.
Judge blocks vaping ban, online sales tax expansion, clean drinking water changes on tap
Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens has blocked the state from enforcing the emergency rules on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ban on flavored vaping products. The House unanimously approved legislation that would require many out-of-state websites that facilitate online sales in Michigan to collect and remit the 6 percent sales tax. Gov. Whitmer has ordered that new limits on the amount of PFAS compound that can be in Michigan drinking water be committed to rules. Final adoption could come by April 2020. By Aug. 1, 2021, every Michigan school and daycare center would need to install lead-free drinking water stations per 100 occupants. Republicans have introduced 47 supplemental budget bills in the House and Senate to bring back $256 million of the $947 million of the line-itemed vetoes that include private college grants, charter school funding increase payments to local governments and county road patrol money restoring spending that Gov. Whitmer eliminated with her vetoes. A change in state policy raising the asset limit for three major public assistance programs this winter will allow more Michigan residents to take advantage of those services. By a vote of 107 to 1, the House passed SB 47, which would exclude placement of solar panels on residential real property from assessments of true cash value in regards to property taxes. The measure goes to the Governor's desk and if approved, local assessors will go back to reassess the value of the properties with solar panels. Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) are working with the Voters Not Politicians (VNP) group on term-limit expansion. The conceptual plan, which has not been finalized, would be that lawmakers could serve a combined 20 years in both the House and Senate before they would be term-limited out. Gov. Whitmer says she will pursue administrative rules to expand how many Michigan workers would automatically qualify for overtime pay. For more details on these and other legislative initiatives, please click here for the October 2019 Karoub Report.
Sterling Heights Police, Fire Fighters honored for fighting child hunger
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
Sterling Heights Police Officers and Fire Fighters were recently honored for going above and beyond the call of duty by donating $4,000 in September to help a local charity fight child hunger in their community.
Blessings in a Backpack – Utica, a program that provides weekend meals for needy children at three Sterling Heights elementary schools throughout the school year, honored Sterling Heights Police Officers Association, a MAP-represented unit, and Sterling Heights Fire Fighters at an Oct. 1 Sterling Heights City Council meeting.
The police officers and firefighters made the donation from a portion of funds they received selling t-shirts promoting Safe Streets Renewal, a millage renewal for fire, police and street improvements which will be on the Nov. 5, 2019 ballot.
Blessings in a Backpack Fundraising Chairperson Bob Maynard presented the unions with Community Service Awards during the meeting. But police and firefighters were not expecting a second award from the City Council. They were honored with Sterling Heights Nice Neighbor Awards, a program established to recognize homeowners who do what they can to improve the quality of life for their neighbors.
“The first award was from Blessings in a Backpack. It was a Community Service Award for fighting child hunger in our community,” said MAP Executive Board Vice President Mike Kunath, who is Sterling Heights Police Officers Association President. “Then, City Council surprised us and they gave us a Nice Neighbor Award. Typically, that’s for people in the community."
Blessings in a Backpack is hosting many community fundraising events including a Halloween Run Against Hunger Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. To help join the fight against child hunger, please visit http://www.blessingsinabackpackmi.org/events/ for more information.
Melvindale Officer’s suspension reversed, back pay awarded
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
A Melvindale Police Officer was awarded back pay and benefits and all references to discipline were removed from his employment file after Michigan Association of Police (MAP) filed a grievance on his behalf and won.
The Grievant, another Melvindale Officer he was training, and a Sergeant responded to a domestic disturbance call Feb. 1, 2019 involving an intoxicated man arguing with a homeowner inside a Clarann Avenue residence. After some discussion, officers encouraged the intoxicated man to return to his bedroom in the home’s basement and sleep it off, but the man did not comply.
Initially, officers decided to administer a PBT test to determine if the level of alcohol in his system required a hospital transport. The man refused to cooperate. With the Sergeant’s help, Grievant attempted to administer the test three times, but due to the man’s shortness of breath, those attempts were unsuccessful.
The homeowner asked to have the man removed, but the Grievant told the homeowner police have no jurisdiction to evict him and he should go to court to get an eviction order. Officers asked the intoxicated man to leave voluntarily and he asked to go his girlfriend’s home. However, police refused transport when the homeowner said the man was at her home earlier that day and police were called. Officers offered to take him to a motel, but he said he had no money.
Read more: Melvindale Officer’s suspension reversed, back pay awarded
Applications being accepted for 2020 Carl Parsell Scholarships
MAP members and their families are eligible to apply for a $2,500 Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year. Scholarships are awarded to deserving college bound students who desire assistance with their college tuition.
In 2019, two individuals were awarded Michigan Association of Police - Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarships. Qualifications include:
- Permanent resident of the State of Michigan
- Member of, or immediate family member of: Michigan Association of Police, Michigan Association of Public Employees or Michigan Association of Fire Fighters
- Applicants must complete a high school education or equivalent by June 30, 2020
Scholarship Applications are available under Forms on this website. Click here for more details including conditions for eligibility, which are also detailed under Scholarship Information on this website. Applications and any attachments must be completed and received by the Michigan Association of Police office no later than March 2, 2020.
For more information, contact Julie Palmquist at (248) 509-7158 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Government shutdown concerns, vaping flavors banned, unemployment reform proposed
The Michigan Legislature passed the K-12 budget and is expected to send Gov. Gretchen Whitmer the rest of the 15 FY 2020 spending bills as soon as Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. Gov. Whitmer is expected to exercise her line-item veto power to keep the state government open beyond Oct. 1, but may scratch as many Republican-specific spending priorities as possible to force them back to the negotiating table to find ways to raise more money for road improvements and schools; Local road funding bills were introduced in the House. HBs 4963 – 4973 were referred to the House Transportation Committee. The 11 bills would allow counties to levy, after a vote of the people, their own registration fees or excise fuel taxes for roads; Gov. Whitmer offered three emergency rules banning all flavored vaping products from Michigan shelves. The orders came after Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun described youth vaping as a “public health emergency”; The House and Senate have both passed House Bill 4446, which limits how much a corporation or a union can put toward fundraising events for a political action committee (PAC) and is now headed to the Governor for signature; House and Senate Democrats have introduced a 16-bill package of legislation aimed at cracking down on payroll fraud; Democrats have introduced a 10-bill package to reform the state's unemployment system, which they described as one of the Midwest’s worst unemployment systems in terms of compensation and benefits.The measures would restore the maximum weekly benefit rate indexing formula to 58 percent of the state average weekly wage, while also returning the eligibility period from 20 to the standard 26 weeks.
For more on these and other legislative issues, please click here for the September 2019 Karoub Report.
Governor appoints MAP Vice President to MCOLES
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor with excerpts from The Macomb Daily
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer selected MAP Executive Board Vice President Mike Kunath to serve on the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) in August.
Kunath, a Sterling Heights Police Officer, is completing the four-year term of the late Rich Heins, MAP Labor Relations Specialist and MCOLES Commissioner since December 2016. Heins unexpectedly passed away April 28, 2019 after developing serious infections. Kunath was nominated by MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner to fill MAP’s seat, with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2021.
“It was an honor when Fred Timpner asked me to apply for this position,” Kunath said. “I will be glad to help MAP and MAP members as much as I can.”
Kunath worked alongside Heins for many years, serving as Sterling Heights Police Officers Association (POA) Board member since 2005 and as Grievance Chairman until January 2018. When Heins retired as MAP Executive Board President and Sterling Heights POA President in 2018, Kunath was elected as Executive Board Vice President and President of Sterling Heights POA. He’s served on the negotiations team through four contract negotiations.
Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski said the department is proud to have Kunath represent the men and women of law enforcement as an MCOLES Commissioner. "Mike has spent the majority of his career on the road handling every conceivable type of police run you can think of," Dwojakowski said in an article in The Macomb Daily. "Mike is a senior officer who knows his job and is always willing to help out our younger officers. He is also well versed in union issues."
The 46-year-old has served as a Sterling Heights Police Officer for 24 years. He has worked as a Field Training Officer, certified Glock and Remington Armorer, and spent six years as a Defensive Tactics Instructor. Prior to that, Kunath was a police officer in Oscoda Township for four months and Royal Oak Township for eight months. He has an associate degree in Law Enforcement from Macomb Community College and completed the Macomb Police Academy in 1993.
MAP donations helped support newly opened Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument
Michigan Association of Police (MAP) and Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO) donations are among those that made the newly dedicated Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument a reality.
Over 500 people attended a dedication ceremony July 27, 2019 at the Monument, on the corner of Allegan Street and Butler Boulevard in downtown Lansing. Over the years, MAP contributed more than $2,000 in honor of fallen MAP Police Officers.
The monument consists of 10 Sentinels - 4’ X 8’ metal panels - engraved with the names of Michigan law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty dating back to the 1800s. The fallen officers’ names have colored background lights so the Memorial Monument is clearly visible day and night. To locate a fallen officer’s name at the Monument, please visit www.mleom.org and click on "Fallen Officers."
