Ann Arbor, MI Council Shuts Down Talks of Privatizing Trash Pickup

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Talks in city hall about possibly privatizing more of Ann Arbor’s solid waste services such as trash pickup have concerned the city’s unionized workforce and left the City Council divided.

The council voted 7-4 this week to shut down those talks, directing the city’s administration to cease all actions that further any plan to privatize solid waste services now performed by city staff.

The council also directed the city’s administration to end the practice of using temporary employees on a long-term basis to forestall the hiring of permanent full-time union employees.

Some are concerned an increased use of temps in recent years is hindering the city’s ability to provide reliable trash pickup.

Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward, brought forward the resolution Monday night, May 21, after hearing the city’s AFSCME union was told by city staff that their work in solid waste could be contracted out to a private entity by January 2019.

Eaton said privatization is a policy issue that should be discussed and determined by council, not city staff.

“And we weren’t informed of this goal or this aim in advance, and it was rather surprising to me to find out that this happened,” Eaton said.

“It’s important to understand what privatization really is,” he added. “It’s taking public jobs and bidding it out to a low bidder who will use private employees who are typically paid considerably less than a union public-sector worker to provide hopefully the same sort of work.”

Eaton said that’s contrary to Ann Arbor’s community values and he doesn’t know how any progressive Democrat could support it.

“We spend a lot of time here talking about affordability, and one aspect of affordability is making a livable wage so that you can live in the community that you serve,” he said.

Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, offered some tweaks to the resolution before he and a majority of council approved it.

Mayor Christopher Taylor and three other council members — Jane Lumm, Chip Smith and Kirk Westphal — still were opposed, arguing the city shouldn’t take the option of privatization off the table as the city considers how to restructure solid waste services. They want to at least see it analyzed so the city can weigh its options.

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com