BING: City and unions reach tentative agreement

DETROIT (WXYZ) - According to Mayor Bing's Twitter account, Detroit has reached a tentative contract agreement with AFSCME Council 25.

Thursday Bing tweeted, "Members of the City’s non-uniform coalition of unions have reached tentative contract agreement."

A deal between the city and its largest employee union would generate savings and greatly aid Detroit at a time of financial crisis.

He followed that tweet up with another, "This agreement is the first meaningful step in achieving the necessary concessions and structural changes."

Finally Bing tweeted, "AFSCME leadership will present the tentative agreement to its members to review and ratify it before a final agreement can be reached."

Mayor Bing and the union  coalition have released the following joint statement about the agreement.

Members of the City’s non-uniform coalition of unions reached a tentative agreement with Mayor Bing and his negotiating team last night.

This tentative agreement is the first meaningful step in achieving the necessary concessions and structural changes to resolve the city’s financial crisis.

“The tentative agreement we’ve reached is not just about concessions. It’s about how labor and management can work together in a fair and constructive way,” said Mayor Dave Bing. “The agreement provides checks and balances that hold both unions and my administration accountable.”

Coalition leadership will present the tentative agreement to its members to review and ratify it before a final agreement can be reached.

“The negotiations were challenging, but this agreement is recognition of the contributions our coalition of unions make to the city,” said Ed McNeil, special assistant to President Al Garrett, AFSCME Council 25, who co-chaired the coalition’s negotiating team. “We used our collective voice to reach an equitable solution.”

“It means we can all get back to work with a renewed sense of mission to continue to provide the residents of Detroit with the services they expect,” said Joe Valenti, president of Teamsters Local 214, who also co-chaired the coalition’s negotiating team.