By Bob Eccles
Ypsilanti, MI – Ypsilanti city council members were greeted by about 15 picketers outside city hall before Tuesday night's council meeting.
Ron Parks is President of AFSCME local 623, which represents public works employees, clerical workers, and parking enforcement employees. He says his union members have been working without a contract for 13 months, while negotiations have resolved every issue except health benefits. Then, Parks says, the city presented the union a whole new set of proposals on Monday.
Parks says the city is back-tracking on previously-reached tentative agreements. City Manager Ed Koryzno's only comment was to say that the city is in negotiations.