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Village of Stockbridge      Contract Negotiations Update .             Stockbridge DPW employees seek Teamster representation. .

A different type of Stalemate in the Village of Stockbridge:

In the Summer of 2009 the Department of Public Works Employees in the Village of Stockbridge Michigan contacted Teamsters Local 580 seeking representation. The Local petitioned the State, an election was held, and the members joined the Union by unanimous consent. Since then the Village of Stockbridge has created a stalemate at its own expense by refusing to agree to a fair contract that provides the most basic on the job protection.

It appears that the village of Stockbridge Michigan would rather pay its high priced Union buster attorney than give its DPW Employees a fair contract. This however is not the same old stalemate. Unlike most employers who spend money on Union Busters to try to save themselves money, the village of Stockbridge has chosen to spend it on the Union Buster instead of saving money. The Union has presented a health care plan that saves the village thousands of dollars and provides better coverage than their current plan.

The Village however, will not agree to give the members the most basic on the job protection. They foolishly argue that all non union villages and townships can be fired at will and therefore these New Union members should be treated the same. They will not agree to the most basic protection and without it Teamsters Local 580 will not sign a contract. “The only way to gain the right of protection from at will firings and discrimination on the job is to join a Union. That’s why these members came to the Teamsters in the first place and that is why we will prevail,” said Doug Withey Teamsters Local 580.

Everyone loses except for the Union buster, why oh why would this Village practice such idiocy?