State Employee Tentative Contracts Reached

Tentative contracts have been reached between the state of Michigan and unions for nearly 33,000 state employees.

According to the Lansing State Journal, the new deals would give employees pay raises and freeze their health care costs and benefits, if ratified.

The one-year agreements with the Michigan Corrections Organization, the Michigan State Employees Association, the Services Employees International Union Local 517M and the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 25, include 1 percent pay raises.

The groups also reached three-year deals on other contract language, but the state was insistent on a shorter-term deal on economics because of uncertainties over how a federal health care tax would affect the state budget.

If union members approve the deal, the state Civil Service Commission could be asked for final approval in December. Current contracts expire at the end of the year.

The largest state employee union, United Auto Workers Local 6000, has yet to announce a tentative contract, but all of the unions typically reach the same agreements on wages and benefits.