Michigan State Worker Unions To Bargain Together

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Five labor unions representing most state of Michigan employees plan to announce a coordinated bargaining approach as contract talks escalate.

The announcement scheduled for Tuesday afternoon comes as Gov. Rick Snyder's administration seeks $145 million in overall state employee concessions for the fiscal year that starts in October.

The coalition scheduled to make Tuesday's announcement includes units of the United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union, the Michigan Corrections Organization, the Michigan State Employees Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Phil Thompson from the Service Employees International, which represents state scientists and high-tech workers says it's hoped a new approach will deliver fair contracts.

"Every state employee in the bargaining process understands the concept of shared sacrifice. We've proven that time and time again," Thomson told WWJ Newsradio 950.

"We're asking the governor to share in our efforts to try and develop new solutions to approaching bargaining, approaching state expenditures, state savings and a whole hosts of things that haven't really been looked at in the past," he said.

The unions represent about 35,000 of the state's roughly 50,000 employees.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday what specific issues might be bargained jointly with the state and which ones may be left to contracts bargained separately by the unions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.