Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland City Council Approves Collective Bargaining Agreement with UAW Local 174

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland City Council Approves Contract with UAW Local 174

Westland, MI (July 3, 2018) - At the July 2 Council Meeting, the Westland City Council approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the union that represents the city's Supervisor employees.

The City and UAW Local 174, representing 15 general and public works employees, have negotiated a new 4.5 year union contract. Key benefits include a 1% wage increase, a change in optical insurance and a 2 day increase of personal business days. Remaining in places are tiered wage and other benefits for which new hires and employees with less seniority take longer to achieve top pay.

With a goal of reducing the City's "legacy costs," effective July 1, 2018 all employees in a MERS Defined Benefit Plan will increase their pre-tax wage contribution from 5% to 6%. The Defined Benefit Plan will be closed to new hires hired on or after July 1, 2018. This helps with the City's overall liability.

"The City continues to work collaboratively with our unions to help reduce the liability of legacy costs while honoring the hard work our employees do, daily, in service of the residents of Westland," commented Mayor Wild.

For more information, please call Aubrey Berman at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.