The state House Republican leader says he expects unions to put up cash from their bank accounts as part of Detroit’s bankruptcy settlement.
House Speaker Jase Bolger says that’s one of his conditions before he’ll agree to a legislative vote on putting 350 million dollars of state money toward the bailout.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta reports.
Bolger’s spokesman issued a statement reminding people that he’s said he expects unions to put money on the table as part of the settlement. The statement says Bolger wants that because unions played a part in forcing unaffordable contracts on the city – and that members’ dues should now essentially be returned as part of a package to mitigate pension cuts. The statement says concessions by individual members are not enough. The speaker did not identify specifically where the money should come from. But some union bank accounts are used for political donations, usually to Democrats.