Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE COUNTY -- On Wednesday, we witnessed a flood of picketers at Michigan's Capitol, protesting bills that will give enhanced powers to state appointed emergency financial managers.  It would allow the managers to eliminate union contracts that struggling cities and school districts have with their public workers, and that's created controversy.  Local unions fear that our state is simply following in the footsteps of Wisconsin; ultimately doing away with collective bargaining rights.

Unlike Wisconsin legislators, those in Lansing aren't flat out eliminating collective bargaining, but they are giving state appointed emergency financial managers the power to do so, a power some say can be easily abused.

One union, the Michigan Education Association, fears giving state emergency financial managers more control will take away the local government's autonomy.

"They can come in and do whatever they want to make the entity, the school or the city, live within their budget," said M.E.A. Director Stu Skauge.  "It takes local control away from our communities. They don't know what the priorities of the people are; they don't know the culture of the communities."

Skauge fears that the first thing a state emergency financial manager would cut would be union's collective bargaining rights.  "He's making the unions impotent.  When you take away collective bargaining, you take away the right of the members in the union."

But Ishpeming City Manager, Jerred Ottenweiss, says he's not concerned for his community.  Ishpeming is fine, it's solvent, and there's no need for emergency measures.

"There are a number of conditions that must be met in order to be considered in an emergency financial condition," said Ottenweiss.  "The city of Ishpeming doesn't meet any of those conditions, and I don't see meeting any of those conditions in the near future."

However, there are some other U.P. communities that might qualify for emergency intervention.  Governor Snyder's representative sent us an email today reminding us that it's been the governor's right to utilize emergency financial managers since 1988.

The only thing that has changed with this bill is that it would give emergency managers extended powers.  Snyder signed the bill on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.