December 03, 2009
December 3, 2009
LANSING - The Office of the State Employer (OSE) and the Service Employees International Union Local 517M (SEIU 517M) have reached tentative agreements to modify the existing provisions of the collective bargaining agreements for three bargaining units of state employees.
The tentative agreements achieve SEIU 517M's share of the $50 million in employee savings assumed in the FY 2010 state budget recently signed by the governor.
"I applaud the SEIU leadership for their commitment to helping resolve some of the challenges we face with our state budget during these very difficult times," Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said.
"Our members have always been willing to discuss fair alternatives to permanent layoffs for SEIU's portion of the $50 million in savings," said Bill Ruhf, president of SEIU Local 517M and a forensic scientist with the State Police. "We all understand the gravity of the state budget."
The SEIU 517M represents almost 5,000 state employees in the scientific and engineering, technical, and human services support units. The tentative agreements are subject to ratification by the membership and will be presented for a vote during the next three weeks.
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