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No-fault insurance repeal, personal tax exemption increase among issues in February Karoub Report

As the reforming of no-fault auto insurance continues to linger in the Legislature, some have now moved to repeal it in completely; The State House and Senate reached a compromise with Gov. Rick Snyder that will give Michiganders a tax break and speed-up elimination of costly driver responsibility fees. The current $4,000 personal tax exemption will increase to $4,900 per person by 2021. Gov. Snyder had proposed an increase in the exemption to $4,500 over three years; House Speaker Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt) wants to accelerate Gov. Snyder’s FY 2019 road funding proposal into this year’s budget; With the recent conviction of MSU Dr. Larry Nassar, members of the Progressive Women’s Caucus (PWC) will be introducing legislation in the coming weeks or month that will reflect its principles – prevention, protection and accountability – to address the problem of sexual assault on college campuses; Democrats in the Senate have introduced a 22-bill package of legislation they say is designed to prepare the best, attract the brightest and retain the finest Michigan educators. Click here for the February 2018 Karoub Report which highlights these and other legislative issues.

National Criminal Justice Commission provision approved by Judiciary Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a provision based on bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) that would create a National Criminal Justice Commission.

The provision creates the bipartisan commission to conduct an 18-month, comprehensive review of America’s criminal justice system, proposing recommendations to address the most pressing issues facing our nation’s criminal justice system. The provision passed as part of broader sentencing reform legislation.

“It’s been more than 50 years since we last conducted a comprehensive review of our criminal justice system, and this commission is long overdue,” said Senator Peters. “Every American should trust that they will be treated equally under the law, but numerous incidents in cities across the country have eroded faith in America’s in the system. It’s clear we need to address these serious concerns, including police and community relationships, our growing prison population and the cycle of recidivism. I’m pleased the Judiciary Committee approved this bipartisan provision that will help us identify solutions to ensure we are administering justice in a fair, equitable and effective way for every American.”

Click here for more information on the National Criminal Justice Commission provision.

Exercise caution when posting, texting & chatting online

By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor

While some people are concerned about what they post, text and otherwise share online, just as many view this as their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. No matter your view on the subject, legal advisors for MAP are urging members to think twice before posting or texting anything sexual, racial or even political.

“You have a First Amendment right to say whatever you want to, but you don’t have a constitutional right to your job,” said MAP Legal Counsel Catherine Farrell.

Public Employees should understand specific restrictions detailed in their contracts. “Look to the CBA to make sure you don’t violate it,” said Farmington Hills Attorney Arthur J. Weiss, who joined Farrell in a Social Media discussion with Union members during the MAP Annual Open House in December.

McLaren Macomb Hospital Security

CONTRACT

“The increase in shift premiums for them was huge. They had been at the same shift premiums for years and they were actually paid less than the sitters for mental health patients,” said MAP Labor Relations Specialist Jerald James. “Prior to this contract you had certain individuals who would work every holiday for that year. We got the Employer to agree to rotate holidays so no one individual is stuck working every holiday. We had some guys that worked every Christmas, every Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the way they scheduled it was just based on seniority. The tuition reimbursement went up $500 annually. It went up to $2,000. They agreed to insert a meditation component (into the contract). Prior to that we didn’t have language that afforded mediation. You could just file a grievance and you went to arbitration or you didn’t. This is a step prior to arbitration. I haven’t had an Employer turn it down yet.”

“Everybody was happy with what we got because we didn’t think we were going to get what we got. They were pleased with the signing bonuses and shift premiums,” said Bill Harris, McLaren Macomb Hospital Security Chief Steward. “You can sell 80 hours of PTO and get that money back and they changed it to twice a year for (up to) 40 hours. There’s always give and take and we did pretty good. We had 17 members who all voted and we had no no votes.”

Contract Duration: 3-year agreement ratified Dec. 15, 2017 and effective Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020.
Wage Increases: Each Full-time Employee received a $1,200 signing bonus upon ratification of the contract and part-time Employees each received $600 signing bonuses.
2% increase at the top rate of pay effective Jan. 1, 2019.
$.75 to $1 afternoon shift premium increase effective Jan. 1, 2018.
$.80 to $1.25 midnight shift premium increase effective Jan. 1, 2018.
$1 to $1.25 afternoon shift premium increase effective Jan. 1, 2019.
$1.25 to $1.45 midnight shift premium increase effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Bills would expand income tax credit, set requirements for Medicaid recipients

The Republican-led Senate passed an expanded personal income tax credit that is likely being eliminated due to a quirk in the new federal tax reform law. Senate Bill 748 S-1 preserves Michigan’s $4,000 personal exemption on its income tax, but increases it to $5,000 by 2021- a $200 increase over the $4,800 exemption level of the SB 748 version; Able-bodied Medicaid recipients would have to work, go through job training or perform community service in order to keep their benefits under House Bill 5317; In the state’s first gubernatorial override in 16 years, the House and Senate pushed into law an accelerated sales tax phase out on used car trade-ins that Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed in July 2017; A Special House Task Force report found 42 areas where mental health services could be improved in the state; Charter schools would receive a share of “regional improvement” property taxes on a per-pupil basis that now go only to traditional schools if legislation (SB 574) approved by the House becomes law; and analysts for the House and Senate fiscal agencies are projecting continued slow and steady growth for Michigan economy through 2020, which means the state’s $10 billon General Fund isn’t likely to keep up with inflation over the next three years and the School Aid Fund, when adjusted for inflation, should remain smaller than it was 10 years ago. These and other legislative initiatives are featured in the January 2018 Karoub Report.

MAP members encouraged to download MAPO app, register for Members Only resources

MAP members are encouraged to visit the Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO) website to register for Members Only alerts and access to resources available only to mapo members. MAP members are also encouraged to download the MAPO App for Iphones and Androids. The App will provide members with easy to use mobile access to the MAPO website and Members Only resources to keep registered users up to date on issues affecting them.

Click on the links below to for more information:

Stabenow shows support for unions at MAP Open House

By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor

Senator Debbie Stabenow joined MAP, MAPE and MAFF labor representatives and members Dec. 8, 2017 at the Annual Open House to show her support for public safety unions and their efforts to stop legislation which could significantly impact their ability to bargain over pensions and retiree health care and threaten benefits already promised to existing retirees.

Senator Stabenow, whose grandfather was a Detroit Police Officer until he became disabled following a high speed chase, expressed her opposition to the measures. Stabenow wanted to let MAP, MAPE and MAFF members know she opposes the attack on public safety and public employee retirement benefits.

“I cannot believe you have to worry about your pensions being paid,” Stabenow said. “It just enrages me as well as energizes me. Your senators fought really hard to stop it from happening.”

MAP, MAPE and MAFF representatives and public employees across the state called their legislators and descended on the Capitol in recent weeks, rallying forces to express their opposition to House Bills 5298-5313 and Senate Bills 686-701. MAP, MAPE and MAFF, through affiliation with Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO) and Labor/Management Coalition of Michigan, joined forces to express their support for Governor Rick Snyder’s task force on Responsible Retirement Reform for Local Governments report. The task force report, released July 2017, was signed by several stakeholders including local government groups and police and fire unions.

Sterling Heights Patrol

CONTRACT

“Sterling Heights continues to set the pace for top pay for police officers in the state,” said MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner. “They received a four-year contract, which tops out at $85,500. Additionally, Employees receiving duty disability pensions will be guaranteed healthcare for themselves and their families. Disability pensions will now be calculated with a higher multiplier of 2.8 percent for each year of service. If an Employee is injured or disabled in the line of duty and they are forced to retire, these improved disability benefits help take some of the worry out of getting hurt on the job.”

“This is huge from our members’ perspective. Before this contract, new Employees were not eligible for retiree healthcare,” said MAP Executive Board President Rich Heins. “Now they not only receive retiree healthcare for the member and their family, they also receive a full duty pension. Previously, their duty disability pensions were limited to 50 percent.”

Contract Duration: 4-year agreement ratified Sept. 5, 2017 and effective 7-1-17 to 12-31-19.

Wage Increases:
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2017 with top pay of $79,480.
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2018 with top pay of $81,454.
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2019 with top pay of $83,478.
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2020 with top pay of $85,552.

Sterling Heights PD makes impression in Pigs 4 Wigs fundraiser

NoShaveNovember 0737 By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor

When over 80 Sterling Heights Police Officers grew beards in November and raised money for Wigs 4 Kids, the community noticed and supported their efforts.

“This is our first year being involved in it,” said Rich Heins, a Sterling Heights Police Officer and MAP Executive Board President.

Despite getting a late start in the Pigs 4 Wigs No Shave November campaign, Sterling Heights Police raised an impressive $4,629. “We decided we were going to do a fundraiser to raise morale and raise some money,” said Sterling Heights Sgt. Chad Finkbeiner. “Sgt. Dave Allen has a friend on the Milford Police Department. They suggested that fundraiser and we looked into it.”

“We jumped on board a week late,” Finkbeiner said, adding 25 Command Officers and 59 Patrol Officers joined the effort. “We had 84 officers participate with most of them contributing $50 … and a couple $100.”

“That’s amazing,” said Maggie Varney, Founder & CEO of Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center and Salon, of the large donation for their first fundraiser. The program, based in St. Clair Shores, assists children and young adults, ages 3-18, experiencing hair loss due to cancer, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other disorders. Varney is a cosmetologist who has worked with adult patients through the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better” program for 28 years. Since Wigs 4 Kids' inception 14 years ago, over 4,000 children have received program services.

“We provide wigs and all the support services for families - grief and loss counseling, field trips with other kids like them, individual, group therapy, painting and music therapy,” Varney said. The services extend to siblings and continue while the families need them. “Even after, when they lose their child, they’re picking up the pieces of their life and still putting it back together and we charge nothing for any of the services we provide for our children,” Varney said. “All the therapy, that’s what this money is raised for.”

Lawmakers wrap up 2017 passing revised pension, retiree healthcare package

Under a scaled back 11-bill package of legislation passed by the House and Senate last week, local governments would need to submit a state approved plan on how to cover their employees’ and retirees’ pension and health care costs; Democrats in the state Senate have introduced legislation (SB 724-725) to reverse Michigan’s five-year old controversial right-to-work laws. The measures would allow a union to charge an agency fee for nonunion members who work in a public or private union; Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law legislation that would allow the Department of Corrections to hire a former felon to work in a state prison – if the hiring goes through an investigative process. The bill (HB 4065) is designed to create opportunities for previous offenders looking to become productive members of society; In an effort to address a growing opioid epidemic in Michigan, the House and Senate passed the last of two packages of bills; As contract negotiations with state employee unions are set to begin next year, Gov. Rick Snyder has named Cheryl Schmittdiel the new director of the Office of State Employer to replace Marie Waalkes who is leaving state government with plans to retire. Schmittdiel has worked both sides of the bargaining table. For more details on these and other end of 2017 legislative issues, see the December 2017 Karoub Report.

Prevailing wage repeal, carrying concealed weapons among issues featured in Karoub Report

A package of bills (SB 584 – 586) passed the Senate that would allow adults with a proper license to carry a concealed weapon through almost all “gun free zones”; The Board of State Canvassers is tentatively planning to meet Jan. 10, 2018 for consideration of the Protecting Michigan Taxpayer’s prevailing wage repeal petition; A no-fault auto insurance reform bill falls 10 votes short of passage in the House; Gov. Rick Snyder appointed his chief legal advisor Elizabeth Clement to the Michigan Supreme Court. Clement is the Governor’s fifth appointment; For the second time, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission was unable to issue an interpretation of state law to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited forms of sex discrimination. For more on these and other legislative issues, click November 2017 Karoub Report.

Green Oak Township Command

CONTRACT

"It was a pretty good contract,” said MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner of the 10 percent pay raises in the first year and the 5-year agreement. “Additionally, the Employer has agreed they will opt out of PA 152 and pay all (premium and deductible) costs associated with the healthcare for the life of the agreement. For those people who have (Retiree) HSA accounts, the Employer will kick in $2,000 a year from when the Employee was hired.”

“The healthcare and the pay raises are the two biggest for us,” said Sgt. Steve Kramer of Green Oak Township Command local union. “For all of our surrounding departments, we were really severely underpaid. That’s where that 10 percent came from - to get us up to the other local departments.”

Contract Duration: 5-year agreement ratified Oct. 11, 2017 and effective 7-1-17 to 7-1-22.

Wage Increases:
10% increase effective July 1, 2017.
3% increase effective July 1, 2018.
2% increase effective July 1, 2019.
2% increase effective July 1, 2020.
2% increase effective July 1, 2021.