September 10, 2006
September 10, 2007
Governor will seek fact-finding if agreement not reached
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today issued the following statement regarding the Detroit teachers strike:
"I urge members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers to comply with Judge Borman's order and return to the classroom on Monday morning, and I urge the Detroit Public Schools to return to the bargaining table with a proposal that will bring this dispute to an end. Only a fair, negotiated contract can allow the Detroit schools to move forward.
"If the negotiations scheduled for Monday do not produce an agreement by 6:00 p.m., I will ask the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) to order fact-finding. Members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers who return to work will then do so under the protection and terms of their existing contract and with a process in place that can lead to an agreement based on an objective analysis of the district's financial situation and its cost-cutting options. It is clear that the absence of this kind of credible analysis has led to significant distrust and has impeded the achievement of an agreement."
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