2016

CONTRACT

“They went from having stipends for command officers to having hourly rates,” said Jim Steffes, MAFF Labor Relations Specialist. “Now it applies to everything they do - training, whatever function the fire department calls them in for. They’ll make more money. They received retro pay increases back to July 1, 2016. We also added two holidays paid at time and half - MLK day and the day after Thanksgiving.”

Contract Duration: 4-year agreement effective 7-1-16 to 6-30-20.
Wage Increases:
2% increase effective July 1, 2016.
2% increase effective July 1, 2017.
1.5% increase effective July 1, 2018.
Wage reopener effective July 1, 2019.

• Command Officers, Captains and Battalion Chiefs were paid the same as fire fighters, but received annual stipends of $900 for Lieutenants; $1,000 for Captains; and $1,100 for Battalion Chief. Now they receive an hourly rate increase which applies to all hours worked, regardless if it’s training or response, which increases their overall compensation.

Fringe Benefits: Added two Holidays, MLK Day and the day after Thanksgiving, which are paid at a rate of time and a half. This brings employees up to 12 paid Holidays per year if they are called to respond.
Bargaining Team: MAFF Labor Relations Specialist Jim Steffes, local union President Phil Howell, Cody Revolt and Tony Lachcik.

MAPO: 5 contacts in 24 hours

MAFF members are urged to join the Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO) and its membership groups by having each MAFF member contact 5 Legislators in 24 hours. Starting at 1 p.m. today, Monday, Dec. 5th, MAFF members are urged to reach out to 5 Legislators by 1 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 6. This campaign follows the close of the public safety leaders roundtable before the House goes into session tomorrow.

The contacts are:

1. Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter
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517-373-1789

2. Local Government Committee Chairman Lee Chatfield
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517-373-2629

3. Rep. David Maturen
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517-373-1787

4. Representative for your District.
To find your Representative, Click Here

5. Senator for your District.
To find your Senator, Click Here

Thousands of public safety union members making thousands of calls and sending thousands of emails is the most impactful action we can take.

The message is simple – VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 6074.

The MAPO leadership has decided that the most effective use of our members' time is to generate 5 contacts to legislators through email and telephone calls. MAFF members are asked to join the effort.

At 1:00 Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, we will post the names of 5 legislators to contact in the 24 hour period that starts then.

Thousands of MAPO members making thousands of calls and sending thousands of emails is the most impactful action we can take. We are asking that each member take 5 minutes to make 5 contacts in that 24 hour period.

The message will be simple - VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 6074.

We are not threatening legislators or being confrontational. Our outreach is making a difference. We are going to accelerate in a focused manner next week prior to the House returning on Tuesday afternoon.

Be sure to check the MAPO website at www.mapo411.com on Monday afternoon. Thank you to everyone who has been calling and sending emails.

Have a safe weekend.

MAPO Executive Board

Karoub Associates is advising MAFF members to call their State Representative and voice their opposition to a package of bills TODAY which negatively affects retiree healthcare and employer contributions to health savings accounts. Jim Curran of Karoub Associates explains the 13-bill package:

Despite statements to the contrary, the House Republicans introduced a 13-bill package that would impact retiree health care for retirees, active employees and new hires at the local level.

Beginning May 1, 2017, retirees receiving benefits would be required to pay 20% of cost unless the retiree health care benefit was funded at a level in excess of 80%.

Beginning May 1, 2017, employers are limited to putting 2% of base pay into a retirement health savings account.

The main bill that enables all the rest of the package is House Bill 6074, sponsored by Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter.

Our focus needs to be the defeat of House Bill 6074.

To our MAPO members, the message is simple:

CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 6074.

Click below to find contact information for your State Representative.

Michigan House of Representatives

The Local Government Committee met this morning, Dec. 1, 2016 from 10:30 until noon. Speaker Cotter and other legislators testified in support of the bills and then the MML testified. The House Session began at noon and ended at 3:30 p.m. The Committee is going back for further testimony. The police groups and others will testify at this time.

Rep. Chatfield, Chairman of the Committee, told the press in attendance that there will be no vote today and that the committee is tentatively scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Keep those cards and letters coming. They are definitely having an impact.

I'll update further after committee. Information has been posted to www.mapo411.com

On a related front, the Senate adjourned at 5:00 Wednesday, Nov. 30 without taking a vote on SB 102 that would put new school employee hires into a DC plan. The Republican leadership plan was to vote it out tonight. The Snyder Administration weighed in heavily against the bill and that gave enough Republicans cover to say they weren't going to vote for SB 102. Snyder's staff testified that the bill would cost the state BILLIONS to cover the conversion cost and the cost of closing the DB plan for existing teachers.

Hopefully, the Governor will have his team publicly come out against the House retiree health care bills as strongly.