Detroit city workers resist layoffs

Bus drivers in uniform and workers from Water and other city departments picketed the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building after work on Feb. 2. Stretching along Woodward Avenue, the demonstration drew supportive horn honks from rush-hour drivers. Upstairs in the City Council chambers, a 4-4 tie stalled approval of a plan to authorize $1.2 billion in bonds to fully fund Detroit's two pension systems.

One week of the war budget would more than fix Detroit's budget crisis.

A written statement issued by four Council members explained their "no" vote. "A more rigorous analysis of our budget situation can yield alternative solutions to preserve jobs that do not depend upon this deficit financing tool. At a time when we face an uncertain future because of a volatile stock market, a federal deficit estimated in the trillions of dollars, and a protracted costly, disastrous war, we should not gamble on a 15-year financing plan that is predicated upon promises of a stable stock market."

However, under the threat of 2,000 immediate layoffs in addition to 686 layoffs already announced, the four relented. Two days after the protest, a unanimous City Council approval was traded for a "no additional layoffs" pledge from the mayor for this fiscal year. The agreement reportedly also includes freezing the city's purchase of real estate and nonessential items. The layoffs already announced were not rolled back.

Council may have agreed to the pension bonds, but this is only one part of the squeeze on Detroit city workers and residents. Calling for "equality of sacrifice," Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick announced an across-the-board 10-percent pay cut or an equivalent amount of time off without pay--called DO-WOP days. The union con tracts expire on June 30. Pay cuts,
lay offs, health benefit and pension changes will undoubtedly be put on the table by the city during the union contract negotiations.

A City Council public hearing on the effects of service cuts is scheduled for Feb. 14. City workers will picket the mayor's Community Budget meetings on Feb. 8 and 10.

Clearly, a 10-percent cut in the six-figure salaries of the top city administrators does not represent a sacrifice equivalent to 10 percent of a typist's $20,000. But the big bonanza was left out of the plan altogether.

What about a 10-percent cut in the city's interest payments to the banks? The largest seven capitalist countries have recommended outright canceling the debt of the 17 poorest countries, which is unrecoverable anyway. Certainly the debt of the poorest countries should be cancelled, but what about Detroit? Can't the banks contribute even 10 percent?

To fight the cuts, working and unemployed people in this city must consider what is not being mentioned. For example, the military budget will reportedly increase by 5 percent. Eliminate just one week of the cost of the military occupation of Iraq and Detroit could blossom. Two Detroit Council women members have called for a preliminary meeting later this month to start that very discussion: How can we stop starving the cities to feed the Pentagon?