Bing Backing down or "sticking to his guns?"

Posted by Minni

DETROIT—It’s Friday, the last day of the work week for many and if Dave Bing is “sticking to his guns” like the Detroit Free Press reported yesterday, then it will be the last day of work for 3,500 city union employees.
But union leaders aren’t giving in under pressure and Bing, who promised the layoff would come today, has not made any moves or announcements. Mlive’s Jonathan Oosting has deduced, based on media reports, that Bing “Won’t be tearing up those union contracts after all”
Bing set the deadline last month to push negotiations with city unions, namely AFSCME, to agree to 26 furlough days or the equivalent of a 10 percent pay cut as well as cuts to benefits, bonuses and health care.
The move is something top AFCSME negotiator Cathy Phillips calls a “bully tactic” to get unions to fold in negotiations.
But so far there are no immediate plans for layoffs, according to Bing’s Press Secretary Ed Cardenas in an interview with the Detroit News.