By AP
LANSING, MI –
The state of Michigan and a labor union for corrections staff have reached a tentative agreement on contract concessions that the union says gets about $8.2 million in savings from workers.
The state on Thursday announced the deal with the Michigan Corrections Organization. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by union members. The deal would extend the contract one year until Dec. 31, 2011.
Most of the concessions come from giving up pay that staff members receive for meetings before their shifts begin. Employees hired after April 1 would pay higher health care costs.
The union represents almost 8,400 state employees, including about 8,200 corrections officers and 200 forensic security assistants.