Bob's Update - October 13, 2009

Good news from our discussions with the unions.

Washtenaw County Administrator Bob Guenzel We have made tremendous progress in resolving our projected budget deficit by achieving agreements on future compensation and benefits with many of the bargaining units that represent County employees. We currently have tentative agreements with 11 of the County's 17 bargaining units -- and I'm optimistic that we will soon have agreements with all of them. The bargaining units that have tentative agreements include the Assistant Prosecutors Association Unit I & II, Public Defenders Association Unit I & II, Michigan Nurses Association Unit I & II and five units of AFSCME. Together, these bargaining units represent nearly 800 employees. The tentative agreements will be presented to the Board of Commissioners at the October 21st Ways and Means meeting.

There is no doubt that these agreements have saved hundreds of jobs and many essential services for the citizens of Washtenaw County. There is also no doubt that these agreements are only possible because of the leadership displayed by the union negotiators and the membership's commitment to the overall good of the County. I sincerely appreciate the partnership that we have with our unions here in Washtenaw County.

"Bob's Update" is a weekly message to Washtenaw County employees from County Administrator Bob Guenzel. eWashtenaw publishes these columns when they are deemed timely and useful to the wider community. Please contact Administrator Guenzel with your comments.

Now that we have tentative agreements with most of the bargaining units, the Board of Commissioners will most likely revisit the non-union adjustments approved earlier this summer. That review and discussion will occur over the next few weeks, with a final recommendation to the Board at the November 4th Ways and Means meeting.

To read more about the County's union concessions take a look at two articles posted on Ann Arbor.com from the last few days. Article 1 and Article 2.

Thank you for staying informed and as always I’m available by here or by email.

Bob