Nominate fellow MAP members for Officer of the Year
Please take the time to recognize a fellow MAP member who has gone above and beyond the line of duty by nominating them for the MAP Officer of the Year Award.
The Officer(s) selected to receive this award will be recognized at the MAP Annual Holiday Open House in December 2020. Please download the nomination form for more information.
Gray mood? Don’t ignore the symptoms of SAD
Excerpted from an article in the MESSA DiscoverYou newsletter
With precious few daylight hours available, and nothing but frigid temps and gray skies on the horizon, the winter blues can be hard to keep at bay.
If you’re feeling down, don’t be too quick to dismiss those feelings as simple moodiness. Seasonal Affective Disorder — also known as SAD — is a very real type of depression that many people experience during Michigan’s long winter months.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of SAD include:
- Low energy
- Excessive tiredness
- Overeating
- Craving for carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Social withdrawal
Fight back against SAD by taking care of yourself — both mind and body. The sooner you take action to combat SAD, the more quickly you’ll feel like your old self again. Here are a few simple things you can do:
EXERCISE
Exercising releases endorphins — the chemicals in your brain that trigger positive feelings. Walking indoors or outdoors, riding a stationary bike or taking an exercise class can help improve your mood and boost your energy, while also helping to improve your overall health and fitness.
MAP’s new Legal Analyst lauded by MERC arbitrators
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
MAP’s new Legal Analyst Bryan Davis may be young, but he’s accomplished, earning a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University (MSU), two master’s degrees, a law degree and working on a third master’s degree.
With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Master of Jurisprudence in Legal Doctrine and Analysis and a Juris Doctorate, the 26-year-old joked, “I’ve been a lifelong Michigan State student.” Davis is continuing to pursue a master’s in Human Resources and Labor Relations at MSU. However, his experiences beyond the classroom are just as noteworthy.
He worked as an intern in Career Planning and Consultation for Peckham, Inc., a community rehabilitation organization helping individuals with disabilities find employment. He also participated in Spartan Project SEARCH at MSU, which focuses on employment readiness for individuals with developmental disabilities. “High school students were utilizing this program for their final year in order to gain employment skills to find work after graduation,” Davis said.
While he didn’t take a traditional route into labor law, he said, “I found the Rehab Counseling master’s program and did get a lot of background in employment readiness for individuals with disabilities. A lot of the stuff I learned focused on disability rights in general, which are all things that I took with me when I got to law school.”
He understands the importance of unions when it comes to protecting workers’ rights. “My family has a pretty substantial relationship with unions,” Davis said. “My father, all of his brothers and his father were all carpenters. To this day my dad is still a business agent for the Local 687. “
“The bulk of my courses I tried to focus in labor and employment law,” Davis said of his Juris Doctorate. He put his law degree to work for the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) from January to October 2019. “A professor at MSU, Mary Bedikian suggested I reach out because the Bureau of Employment Relations was looking for a law clerk. I was fortunate enough to be offered a position there,” Davis said.
Read more: MAP’s new Legal Analyst lauded by MERC arbitrators
Good luck Carl Parsell Scholarship applicants
Thank you for your applications and good luck to the 2020 Carl Parsell Scholarship applicants! Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2020-21 academic year.
In March and April, the Scholarship Selection Committee will begin the selection process, which will be completed in May. Scholarship recipient(s) will be notified of their status on or before June 1, 2020. Carl Parsell Scholarship winners will be formally recognized during the 30th Annual Carl Parsell Memorial Golf Outing on June 11, 2020.
Carl Parsell Scholarships may be used to cover a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, and other required fees during the 2020-21 academic year. Scholars may use the award to attend any United States accredited university, college, community college, junior college, two- or four-year accredited degree-granting institution, or vocational training institution that grants a certification or license. Scholarship candidates must have completed a high school education or its equivalent, on or prior to June 30, 2020.
Funds derived from The Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarship Golf Outing determine the number of scholarships to be awarded annually. The maximum award available per student is $2,500. In July and August, The Carl Parsell Scholarship Fund sends Scholarship checks directly to each Scholar’s college or university.
MCOLES 'population trends' shows continued decline in law enforcement
Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) tracks Law Enforcement population trends annually. According to the latest report, from 2001 to Jan. 2020 there continues to be an overall decline in Police Officers and Law Enforcement Positions.
Click here for MCOLES January 2020 Law Enforcement Population Trends.
Auto insurance reform explained, vaping and environmental legislation proposed
The Department of Insurance and Financial Services is rolling out a new website and phone access to live personnel to answer 
questions about the new no-fault auto insurance reforms that take effect July 1, 2020. Vaping would be treated like a tobacco product under legislation (SB 781) introduced in the Senate. It is part of a six-bill bipartisan package of legislation that requires a license to sell vaping products, creates marketing restrictions, age verification, and changes the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. Democrats have proposed a package of bills (HBs 4386, and 5452 through 5456) that would increase financial and criminal penalties for companies that poison the air, water, and land while incentivizing corporate leaders to behave more responsively, according to a press release. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law SB 340 which allows people to fill their prescriptions at “remote pharmacies” staffed by a pharmacist available through a live video feed. A recent poll shows that a 60% majority of Michigan voters support moving to a vote-by-mail election system, with 32% opposed.
Click here for more on these issues and other legislative news in the February 2020 Karoub Report.
Henry Ford Hospital Security Police Officers host cookoff to benefit needy children
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
Every year Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) Police Authority raises money to fund Jingle Jangle Adopt an Angel to provide gifts for area needy children. But for years, the female members of the unit were doing all the cooking for event fundraisers.
The male Security Police Officers decided it was time they do more than sell tickets and pass out food. So, HFHS Security Police Officer (SPO) John Snitgen helped organize the Authority’s first Boys in Blue Cook Too fundraising cookoff Jan. 31.
“We do several fundraisers throughout the year,” Snitgen said. “They put together dinners to sell to different parts of the hospital. The girls would always do the dinners and the guys would sell dinners. In November, I said we should do a Boys In Blue Cook Too, so the guys do everything. It was our first time doing it and we were all volunteering our own time and food.”
The fundraiser included management, officers, dispatch and parking staff. Each attendee paid $10 to taste and judge the food samples and received a raffle ticket for the Valentine’s Day gift basket drawing. About 50 people attended and they raised $400 after expenses, Snitgen said. Those funds will go toward the Jingle Jangle Adopt an Angel program, which benefits up to 20 underprivileged children.
Read more: Henry Ford Hospital Security Police Officers host cookoff to benefit needy children
Save the Date for 2020 Carl Parsell Memorial Golf Outing
Mark your calendars! The 30th Annual Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarship Golf Outing is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2020 at Links of Novi.
See the Website Calendar for more details. Please check back for registration and more information in April.
Sign up for new Union Steward Training Seminars
MAP is offering new Union Steward Training Seminars at the MAP Office beginning in February.
Register today for the free training seminars, which are available on a first-come basis. All Local Executive Board members and Local Stewards are encouraged to attend.
The seminars are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch served on the following dates: Feb. 28, May 29, Aug. 28 and Nov. 20, 2020. Details can be found on the website Calendar.
Please contact 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. as soon as possible as to make reservations for members from your Local Association.
Governor's State of the State address focuses on roads, health care, education and jobs
In an unusually short State of the State address before a joint session of Legislature, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a $3.5 billion borrowing plan to ‘fix the damn roads,’ and bypass the Republican-led Michigan Legislature. Her Plan B, which does not require legislative approval, adds or expands 122 road projects. It will nearly double the amount of money to fix roads over the next five years. Gov. Whitmer called it a “fiscally responsible plan” with “no tax increase.” However, as she was preparing to announce the new plan, the Republican-controlled Senate passed a seven-bill transportation package (SB 517) on Jan. 28 that requires the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) work with an outside consulting firm to study the possibility of bringing toll roads to Michigan. In her address, Gov. Whitmer urged the Legislature to enshrine many of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions into state law to protect Michiganders if the federal government chooses to repeal the ACA. The protections would prohibit insurance companies from denying people due to pre-existing conditions, charging women more than men for the same plan, charging sick patients more than healthy patients, and cancelling coverage when an individual gets sick. The Governor also intends to expand Pre-K for kids who need it most by providing additional funding to the Great Start Readiness Program. Gov. Whitmer announced she's also directed the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to expand the right to overtime pay to thousands of Michigan workers. Currently, only workers making $35,000 or less have overtime rights.
Click here for more information in the Karoub State of the State Special Report.
The science of gratitude: Benefits for the mind, body
Excerpted from an article in the MESSA DiscoverYou November/December 2019 newsletter
The power of gratitude has been studied for years, focusing on subjects from across demographics and all walks of life. A large body of research shows that intentionally engaging in a practice of gratitude has benefits for both the mind and body.
The benefits for mental health can’t be denied, and have been quantified. According to researchers at Indiana University, the mental benefits of gratitude include:
- Decreased feelings of depression and anxiety.
- A better ability to cope with stress.
- Increased feelings of confidence and self-worth.
- Generally higher feelings of happiness.
What’s more, they also found that practicing gratitude may even rewire the brain to be more sensitive to experiencing gratitude. In short, it’s likely that gratitude breeds greater gratitude.
What some may find surprising is that there are physical benefits associated with having an attitude of gratitude.
Read more: The science of gratitude: Benefits for the mind, body
Road funding plan downsized, MSP pulling breathalyzers from the field, State of the State address set
Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 45-cent-per-gallon fuel tax increase to fix Michigan’s roads failed to get support last year, she said she will now shift to smaller steps…describing that as “triage” for the roads. Based on suspected falsification of records, Colonel Joseph Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police (MSP), announced the department is investigating potential fraud committed by contract employees of Intoximeter and is moving to pull 203 breathalyzer instruments from the field. The State of Michigan has filed suit in Washtenaw County against 17 different entities as a way to cover the cost of environmental and public damages caused by toxic PFAS. Gov. Whitmer is set to deliver the annual State of the State address before a joint session of the Legislature the evening of Jan. 29, 2020. The State of Michigan will spend the $17.5 million in federal grant money to distribute Narcan to high-risk areas, for medication to treat opioid addiction in emergency rooms and jails, for replacement programs, and for mobile care units. More charges are expected, some as early as this month, from the Attorney General’s office’s investigation into alleged sexual abuse by clergy at the state’s seven dioceses, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel. Beginning May 1, the public can bring cellphones into Michigan courtrooms based on a recent rule change by the Michigan Supreme Court amending a current rule that allowed chief judges at the local level to set their own cellphone policies.
For more information on these issues and other legislative news, please click here for the January 2020 Karoub Report.
