Detroit Water & Sewage Overhaul: New Plan Brings Big Changes

DETROIT (WJBK) - "Everybody will not be happy," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Friday.  "That's all a part of negotiations."

Bing outlined Detroit's new direction reorganizing the city's Water and Sewerage Department.  It's clearly a plan that will bump heads with unions, and it's been signed off as an order endorsed by federal Judge Sean Cox.

The order calls for a new management structure, a seven member regional board, but Detroit retains a majority.

The order will allow for outsourcing and privatization after the current contract expires.

"Collective bargain agreements as they are in place today are going to change, and I think that's a positive. It's not anti-union. It's all about creating much more transparency, much more efficiency," Bing told reporters.

"This order today is not going to make union members really happy. Specifically, here's what this order did. It eliminated furlough days. It eliminated bumping rights. It eliminated seniority. Now overtime is not by seniority, but it's only the most qualified worker and at management's discretion. There will be mandatory training programs under this order, and ... outsourcing now is okay," said FOX 2 legal analyst Charlie Langton.

How will this order play in other counties? Detroit has four million customers buying its water supply. One of Detroit's biggest water customers is Oakland County.

"For this committee and, of course, the judge to put this in place, which is going to have a major impact on the system within a 60 day period of time, I'm pleasantly pleased. I think the mayor, I think the City Council and the Water Board have done a good job of really identifying what the major issues are," said Oakland County Water Commissioner John McCulloch.

Bing said we will see a new water-sewer director this month.