VBT Board approves four-year AFSCME contract on 5-2 vote

On a vote of 5-2, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved the four-year contract with township employees who are represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union.
The contract runs from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2022. A budget implication was noted on the agenda item as 2% for four elected officials and approximately 10 salaried employees for the update to the benefits manual.
Among other changes, wages will increase 2% each year of the four-year contract, except for account clerks who get 73 cents per hour increase the first year and then the 2% for the years after that.
The vote on the contract was after an hour-long closed-door session at the beginning of the Jan. 15 regular meeting.
Trustees Reggie Miller and Paul White voted no.
Trustee Miller said she voted no about the process. She said her job as a trustee is to oversee the process and ask questions.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara had cancelled the Jan. 14 work/study session for lack of agenda items. He explained they didn’t get the AFSCME contract that was approved by the union until after the work/study was cancelled, so he planned a closed-door session to consider the contract at the beginning of the regular meeting. Then they could act on it during the regular meeting.
The contract negotiators included Treasurer Sharry Budd and Clerk Leon Wright and they both defended the contract.
Treasurer Budd said the negotiation was in harmony on both sides and the union has ratified the contract.
Clerk Wright said the contract was negotiated in good faith.
“We’ve had tremendous growth with the way we negotiate contracts,” Wright said.
“We need to improve our process so the board members feel more included,” said Trustee Sherry Frazier. “I would have preferred not to have the work/study canceled yesterday.” She said if they had the closed-door session on Monday, it would have given them time to think over the vital issues before they had to vote on it.
She said with a closed-door session followed by the vote, “You expect us to vote on this lickety-split… We need time to digest it…”
Miller said with her no vote she is letting the public know this was not done right, going from the closed session to the board meeting to a vote.
“I’m in complete agreement with Trustees Frazier and Miller,” Trustee White said. He said the board has to consider the work force and finances of the township and, “We could have had time to read and study this first.
“Our basic responsibility is the financial condition of the township,” White said.
He also said it was the process that he was voting against, not what is in the contract, and he was almost positive it would pass anyway.
“We should never, ever be given something and then 30 minutes later vote on it,” White said. “I would hope to not have something like this happen again.”
Trustee Kevin Martin said there is no reason to vote against it, since it was negotiated in good faith and, “We are the guardians of the money.”
“The process is the supervisor is not keeping the board informed,” Frazier said. She recalled at a previous meeting, the supervisor “sat on something” and didn’t tell the board about it.
Both Supervisor McNamara and Trustee Martin called out “point of order” because the previous issue was not what was on the agenda.
“One example is that no trustees were informed of the cancellation of the work/study and found out by themselves,” Trustee Frazier continued talking. “We’d have a more cohesive board if the board feels they have impact to township business…”
Clerk Wright said he didn’t want anyone thinking the process is wrong. He said he, Treasurer Budd and the Human Resources Director negotiated with AFSCME representatives. He said only the TAs (tentative agreements) were brought into the closed session.
“The reason we didn’t have the work/study session was because of a lack of agenda items,” Wright said. He said the contract was ratified on Wednesday and they found out after they canceled the meeting. “That’s why we had the closed session today,” he said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary.”
Trustee Martin and Treasurer Budd called the question, so the vote would be taken, but Supervisor McNamara said he doesn’t allow anyone to call the question until everyone on the board is given the opportunity to speak twice.
Miller repeated that she is uncomfortable with a closed session and then to come out and vote with no time to review.
White said he doesn’t think anything as important as an AFSCME contract for four years should be presented and then voted on at once. The supervisor should give them at least overnight to consider it, he said.
Budd said the contract was in the board packet on Friday and they could have reviewed that.
Then the vote was taken and Miller and White voted no.
White said under Robert’s Rules of Order, a person cannot just call out “call the question” but has to be recognized first, has to have the floor.
“You can use this to keep minority members from giving their opinion,” White said.
Supervisor McNamara said, “You made me change.” He said the chair now determines if you’re out of order.
“I didn’t want that power. I voted against it,” McNamara said.
Miller said White was absolutely right and you have to have the floor to call point of order.
In other business at the Jan. 15 meeting, the board:
• Approved the reappointment of Ronald Merritt to the Environmental Commission with a term to expire Oct. 1, 2021;
• Approved amending the 2019 budget to reallocate $367,899 from the Equipment Replacement Saving into Capital Outlay to purchase the board-approved 2018 Spartan Fire Engine. McNamara said they saved $50,000 by buying the engine last month and paying for it this month;
• Heard Sharon Peters, president of the Belleville Area District Library Board, thank board members for their personal donations to the library. She also invited the public to the ceremonial beam signing at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26;
• Honored Mary Talaga on the occasion of her retirement as a school crossing guard at the corner of E. Huron River Drive and Edgemont Street in the City of Belleville for the past 57 years;
• Honored the memory of former VBT police officer and public safety department secretary Jean Johnson while visiting relatives in Kentucky; and
• Heard Wright give a report on what Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said when she came to the township. He said VBT is a part of Project Child Safe and people can get a free gun lock at the police department after showing the gun registration. He said Worthy said there are legal ramifications for parents and children and what young people think is a joke by playing around with a gun could have lifelong ramifications. He also said Worthy said some pawn shops are requesting that certain items be stolen from stores;