Heins passing a tremendous loss for MAPE, Sterling Heights and K9 community
By Jennifer Gomori, MAPE Editor
Michigan Association of Public Employees (MAPE) suffered a tremendous loss April 28 with the passing of former longtime MAP Executive Board President Rich Heins, who just began working as a MAPE Labor Relations Specialist.
Heins had just retired from Sterling Heights Police Department in March when serious infections set in following multiple foot and ankle surgeries. After six weeks in intensive care at Henry Ford Hospital, he succumbed to the infections at the age of 54 surrounded by his loved ones.
“He was a very fine professional Police Officer who was unselfish of his time and talents and he would help with whatever he could to improve the lives of law enforcement officers and their families,” said MAPE Executive Director Fred Timpner.
Heins broke his left foot and ankle during a K-9 training exercise in September 2017. He took a year off police work and went through many surgeries. Heins returned to light duty for a short time in 2018, but doctors recommended yet another surgery in early 2019. Suffering with pain and swelling, he decided to retire from police work.
Heins suddenly fell ill in mid-March and was admitted to the hospital. As his health deteriorated, doctors put him into a medically-induced coma. Sadly, he never regained consciousness.
“The nurses were so nice to him in intensive care. To cheer him up they would show him pictures of his dogs,” Timpner said. “But Chase (Heins recently retired K9) has been really missing him. He actually moves furniture around the house.”
So, when doctors realized Heins would be passing soon, the nurses wanted Chase by his side. “Henry Ford Hospital staff put a call out to the family to bring the dog down,” Timpner said. “Unfortunately, Sterling Heights Police sent a K9 Officer to pick Chase up, but before they could get down there he passed away. But I thought, ‘What a class move.’”
Govenor's budget calls for billions for roads, million plus for schools, pension tax relief
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget calls for increasing the gas tax by 45 cents under a three-part phase-in starting Oct. 1 of this year and ending Oct.1, 2020 that would raise about $2.5 billion in new annual revenue for roads. This would be deposited into a new Fixing Michigan Roads Fund and allocated to the most highly traveled and commercially important roads at both the state and local levels. Gov. Whitmer is also asking for an additional $507 million to increase K-12 funding in her Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget including up to $180 more per pupil. Revenue sharing will increase 3 percent for counties, cities, villages and townships. Whitmer has called for eliminating the so-called “pension tax” and proposed paying for it by taxing “pass-through” businesses at the same 6 percent rate as the existing Corporate Income Tax. Budget recommendations also include funding for a new trooper recruit school with the anticipation of graduating 50 new troopers to keep the Michigan State Police enlisted strength at about 2,100. For more information on the Governor's Fiscal Year 2020 budget, please click here for the March 2019 Karoub Report and also visit Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's website.
Governor's executive order rejected, state withdraws from federal cases, hands-free legislation introduced
The Michigan Legislature has rejected a Governor-issued executive order for the first time in 42 years.The Republican-led Legislature passed HCR 1, rejecting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2019-2, which would have reorganized the Department of Environmental Quality and abolished three oversight panels created by the Legislature. Attorney General Dana Nessel continues her efforts to withdraw the state from federal cases. In recent weeks, she has withdrawn the state from more than a dozen federal cases. The latest are four cases involving civil rights and two involving transparency. After Gov. Whitmer’s call in the State of the State address for “hands free” legislation, Representative Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) has introduced HB 4181 to prohibit drivers from using a mobile electronic device while driving unless it is in a “voice-operated or hands-free mode” and the driver doesn’t have to use his or her hands to operate it. Making 9-1-1 calls are exempted. The sale of a former state prison in Ionia for construction of a $35 million private immigration detention center has been scrapped by the governor. A judge has denied an agreement reached between Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters brought a lawsuit against the Secretary of State prior to Secretary Benson’s Administration over the Republican-drawn redistricted maps after the most recent census. Writing on behalf of the three-judge panel, U.S. District Judge Eric Clay said Secretary Benson “lacks the authority to enter into the proposed consent decree” which would have seen 11 of Michigan’s 110 House districts redrawn for the 2020 election. Click here for the February 2019 Karoub Report for more details on these and other legislative issues.
Free retirement planning offered to MAPE dues paying members
By Jennifer Gomori, MAPE Editor
While it’s true our experiences in life impact our financial decisions, having a plan for retirement isn’t something anyone should go without.
That’s the message Stuart Raider and Peter Mendler recently shared with MAPE members. The Raider Dennis Agency President and Vice President encourage all members to come in for a free financial analysis and thorough retirement plan, so they are ready when it’s time to retire.
“This is something that is available to all MAP, MAPE and MAFF members that are dues paying,” Mendler said.
Raider’s father, Jordan, was only 7-years-old when his own dad passed away unexpectedly. “He learned about financial and emotional hardship,” Raider said.
Those hardships inspired Jordan to build a successful financial planning business, thus inspiring Stuart to follow in his footsteps with the business and get a college education at Michigan State University. “It taught me a lesson about responsibility for my clients,” Raider said.
Mendler experienced a similar upbringing to Raiders’ father. A former IRS Agent, current attorney and financial planner, Mendler was only 5-years-old when his parents divorced. His dad passed away when he was 12. “I went to live with my grandparents,” Mendler said. “I felt like a charity case. I learned what it was like to feel needy, vulnerable. I’ve worked my whole life to never feel like I’m in that position again.”
His grandfather inspired his financial career. “My grandfather instilled in me the value of saving,” Mendler said. “As we face retirement, we don’t want to run out of money.”
Both partners in the Raider Dennis Agency are fiduciaries. They are held to a higher standard of education, knowledge and responsibility to provide individuals with financial plans that will see them through retirement. “A fiduciary is legally bound to act in your best interests,” Mendler said. “Stuart and I are fiduciaries. We take it very seriously to uphold that trust we’re held up to. Not every financial advisor is a fiduciary.”
Heston brings wealth of experience as new MAPE Executive Board President
By Jennifer Gomori, MAPE Editor
Jeff Heston has served his local union almost since the beginning his employment with the City of Jackson, so the transition to becoming MAPE Executive Board President in October 2018 seemed fitting.
Heston, 52, began working at the City of Jackson in October 1994. In 1995, Heston stepped up and became a Local Union Steward after a former Water Department Steward transferred to another department. “I like to be involved. I said, “I’ll do it,’” Heston said. “I’ve been involved with the Union for quite a while.”
Heston is now President of the local MAPE Jackson Public Employees Union. He took on both Union President positions after former MAPE Local and Executive Board President Rusty Holdridge announced his pending retirement in 2017. Holdridge officially retired from the City of Jackson in February 2019.
“When (Holdridge) stepped down, the Union approached me,” said Heston, Maintenance Supervisor of the Clean Water Plant. “I like the organization and I like helping out.”
Heston served as Local MAPE Union Vice President for five years prior to that and grew up in a Union home. His dad worked for Ford Motor Company for 40 years. “My family have been involved with the big three,” Heston said. “Growing up in Detroit, everyone knows about the unions.”
Heston, who served in the Navy from 1985 to 1991 as a Machinist Mate, has been a Union Employee for over two decades. One of his main goals as MAPE Executive Board President is to expand membership. “Through our good representation and good word of mouth from other locals, I’m hoping we can bring some people in that aren’t unionized now or bring others (from competing unions) over to our union,” he said.
Governor, Legislature to tackle road fixes, auto insurance reforms, gambling bill
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she will put forth “a real plan” to fix Michigan’s roads and other infrastructure in her March budget presentation, but when questioned by reporters gave no indication of how she would propose paying for the plan. The Senate and House have set their top legislative priorities. The Senate’s first bill of the 100th Legislature is Senate Bill 1 to address the state’s nation-leading auto insurance rates. The measure includes reform of health insurance and personal injury protection benefits. Senate Democrats are calling for tax credits such as establishing a child care credit for working families with young children and creating a tax credit claw back that would make businesses that leave Michigan pay back incentive dollars they were awarded to come to or stay in Michigan. The Republican House is focusing on Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform to require a criminal conviction before law enforcement agencies could sell or use the property seized based on probable cause. Gambling expansion legislation will quickly be reintroduced this session, according to Representative Brandt Iden (R-Oshtemo Twp.) and Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr. (D-East Lansing). The legislation, which would allow online gaming and horse race betting by cellphone as well as fantasy sports gambling and new charitable gaming regulations, fell victim to former Governor Rick Snyder’s veto pen. Attorney General Dana Nessel has picked Fadwa Hammoud as Solicitor General and tapped her to oversee the Attorney General’s criminal prosecutions in the Flint water crisis. For more on these and other legislative topics, click here for the Jan. 23, 2019 Karoub Report.
MAPE Executive Board Officers
GOP-led legislature passes controversial legislation, no-fault reform dies, speed limits stay put
After an oft-times contentious lame duck session that saw the GOP-controlled 99th Legislature pass several controversial pieces of the legislation and an all-night session, lawmakers wrapped up their work for the year and the 99th Legislature came to an end. Karoub Associates lobbyist Emily Laidlaw was named Policy Director for Governor Whitmer’s Administration. Laidlaw was instrumental in developing Karoub’s Education Practice. Gov. Rick Snyder has signed several bills including a huge $1.3 billion spending bill that includes $69 million for the Renew Michigan Fund for hazardous waste sites, a new revenue stream ($114 million in FY 2019 and $143 million in FY 2020) for roads, $19.3 million to fight PFAS and $40 million for a new Capitol Visitor Center at the Capitol. Snyder also vetoed 56 bills in his final days of office. Gov. Whitmer started her term, naming the state’s new Budget Director, Treasurer and she appointed new state department Directors, including Col. Joseph Gasper as Director of the Michigan State Police. Detroit developer Dan Gilbert's attempts to revive no-fault auto insurance reform failed to make it out of the Legislature during the last day of the lame duck session. Although the Senate passed legislation that would make all limited access expressways 75 miles per hour and all non-city highways 65 miles per hour, the House stopped the legislation from moving forward. For more details on these and other legislative issues, click here for the January 2019 Karoub Report..
Sterling Heights Supervisory
CONTRACT
“They are considered exempt Employees, so they had an increase in Comp Time from 125 to 150 hours,” said MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor. “They get $1,000 a year stipend for having a master’s degree. They didn’t have that before. We have some Letters of Understanding … If anybody gets a better health care plan, they can get that as well. The technical director and purchasing manager will get more Comp Time because they get hung up with the elections, and with three elections this year, they should be compensated for them.”
“Getting raises back up to 9 percent over four years was an improvement,” said Local Union President Steve Deon. “We understand some of the financial challenges we face as a city, so obviously we have to take that into account when we look at these things. This last contract was a three-year. We are doing a four-year this time. There are several increases in there. The Comp Time is up, master’s degree stipend, the education reimbursement. Overall, we think it’s a fair deal for all sides.”
Contract Duration: 4-year agreement ratified June 12, 2018 and effective from 7-1-18 to 6-30-22.
Wage Increases:
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2018.
2% increase effective July 1, 2019.
2% increase effective July 1, 2020.
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2021.
Sterling Heights Technical Office
CONTRACT
“There’s no health care premium sharing for first two years of contract,” said MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor. “For full time (newer hires) we made some modifications in Paid Time Off (PTO). They used to go from 10 to 20 years with no increase. Now they get 28 days or 210 hours of PTO at 15 years. At 20 years, they get 30 days or 225 hours. Part-time Employees were getting 30 hours Paid Time Off a year. We bumped them to 40 hours for first two years and in three years they go to 45 hours. They had an increase in educational reimbursement for both groups (Technical & Supervisory). They had a 10 percent increase for members that are getting Longevity. Snow emergencies have always kind of been a sticky issue with people who have to stay and work when City Hall is shut down. They’ll get an equal number of hours off when everybody gets to go home and they have to stay and work. Previously, they agreed to keep the workforce at 65 percent full-time and no more than 35 percent part time, we changed that to 70/30.”
“Years ago, we had to give concessions. This is the first contract since those times where we are getting some of that back. It might be little, but it’s a good start,” said Gordie Felczak, Local Union President. “We took a 33 percent cut in Longevity about 10 years ago. We were able to get them to throw 10 percent back toward it. This is the first contract where we’re getting decent raises also. I think the 70 to 30 full-time to part-time ratio was another big win for us. It’s hard being a full-time Employee and part-time Employees get up and walk away during tax time and that’s more work added onto the full-time Employees. We’ll have a few more full-time people at critical times. We don’t want our part-time members to not reap the benefits of overtime, but at the same time if you’re so light staffed in some departments, it’s time to get somebody in there. Our unit had 136 members in 2002 and we’re down to 84. We almost lost half our group and the part timers were to help relieve the pain from our layoff. Hopefully it will be all full-time people again one day.”
Contract Duration: 4-year agreement ratified June 12, 2018 and effective from 7-1-18 to 6-30-22.
Wage Increases:
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2018.
2% increase effective July 1, 2019.
2% increase effective July 1, 2020.
2.5% increase effective July 1, 2021.
Macomb Technical Office
CONTRACT
“We improved the Vacation Time. There was a two-tier vacation system. Now Tier 2 moved up to the same vacation as Tier 1,” said MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor. “From two years to 10 years they weren’t getting any increases in Vacation Time. We brought them in line with the Tier 1 Employees.”
“We got wage increases and additional Vacation Time and we don’t lose any benefits and keep our insurance the same and that’s a win,” said Jason Berndt, Local Union Chair.
Contract Duration: 3-year agreement ratified June 26, 2018 and effective from 7-1-18 to 6-30-21.
Wage Increases:
86 cents per hour (about 3%) increase effective July 1, 2018.
72 cents per hour (about 2.5%) increase effective July 1, 2019.
60 cents per hour (about 2%) increase effective July 1, 2020.
Fringe Benefits: In the two-tier vacation system, Tier 2 moved up to same amount of vacation as Tier 1. Previously, Tier 2 was capped out at 80 hours Vacation per year until they had 10 years of employment. Now Vacation Time is as follows for Tier 2:
• One year of employment = 80 hours Vacation Time.
• 5 years of employment = 104 hours Vacation Time.
• 10 years of employment and more = 128 hours Vacation Time.
Bargaining Team: MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor, Chair Jason Berndt, Vice Chair Tom Moilanen and Records Administrator Eva Koss.
Chesterfield Township DPW
CONTRACT
“The Union was able to convince the Employer that an immediate shift to Public Act 152 and forcing the Employees to make contributions was a huge hardship,” said MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Jim Steffes. “The Employer opted out of P.A. 152 for the life of the agreement and is fully funding the first year’s deductibles and 50% of the second years deductibles. This gives Employees time to make Health Savings Accounts (HSA) contributions for future deductible costs. Employees hired after ratification will have a Retiree Health Savings Plan into which the Employer will contribute $100 per pay or $2,600 per year. Employees hired after 2010 have the option to change from retiree healthcare to the Retiree Health Savings Account before July of 2018. For those who choose to enter the plan, the Employer will contribute $5,400 for each year of service between 2010 and 2018. Going forward, those Employees would also receive the $100 per pay Employer contribution. The Employee is immediately vested in the plan and, upon separation from employment with the Township, can use their funds to pay for IRS-approved healthcare expenses such as premiums, drug costs, or supplementing Medicare when they reach age 65, etc.”
Local Unit President Mark Wroblewski said this contract gives Employees an option other than simply having retiree healthcare taken away. “Anything we could keep or save was beneficial for us,” Wroblewski said. “In essence, that money would be there for them when they did retire instead of having to follow along for what the new employees voting on the contract would do. There’s good and bad in everything. We didn’t get hit with the 80/20 for (active employee) healthcare, which would’ve had $3,000 for individual and $6,000 for family deductibles. So that’s a positive. Instead, what we have now is $2,000 and $4,000. But the Township did cover 100 percent (of deductible costs) in the first year and half of it in the second year of the two-year contract.”
Contract Duration: 2-year agreement ratified Dec. 13, 2017 and effective 1-1-18 to 12-31-19.
Wage Increases:
1% increase Jan. 1, 2018 to all steps and classifications.
2% increase Jan. 1, 2019 to all steps and classifications.
