By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor
Rochester Hills Employees were represented by American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for over three decades, but changes in their representation led them to join the Governmental Employees Labor Council (GELC) and they could not be more pleased.
The 120-member group voted to join the GELC in September 2024 after their already-soured relationship with AFSCME hit a dead end when the Union endorsed the wrong candidate for City Mayor.
“Ever since I became (Local Union) Vice President in 2011, our services have been dwindling from fair to slowly declining. They kept changing Reps.,” said Jason Boughton, Rochester Hills Employees Local Union President. “We endorsed our mayor, that we have a good working relationship with, in 2023 and a week later the Council endorsed the other person running against the mayor.”
AFSCME had notified the Council that they endorsed the mayor’s opponent, who had filed paperwork with the Union requesting their backing, Boughton said.
“We didn’t have a standing Rep., so (AFSCME) didn’t know we gave our endorsement, but they never reached out to us!” he said. “I called them out and said, ‘Why didn’t you call us and ask our opinion? Your local - that’s 120 people you just ignored.’ They said, ‘We don’t have to.’ That does not sit well with me or anybody else.”
AFSCME challenged Rochester Hills Employees when they attempted to become GELC members, but Boughton’s testimony during what he called a ‘kangaroo court’ sealed the deal. “I guess they have the international powers to take over the (Local) Union,” he said. “I brought the (endorsement) situation up. The faces on all of (the AFSCME Reps.) were just dumbfounded. I said, ‘… and seeing your faces just proved I am doing what’s right about jumping ship.’ They couldn’t rebut it. I was proud to be standing up for my members. I understand why they’re losing members left and right. The head has gotten too big for the body of the snake on that one.”
The large unit boasts nearly all dues-paying members, except for one person, and is pleased GELC is saving them money on dues. “They were probably getting $50,000 to $60,000 a year from us,” Boughton said of AFSCME. “Our people don’t think we are throwing money into an empty pot. If you show the value, we will continue having an almost 100 percent sign-up rate.”
By 2021, dissatisfaction with their former Union prompted Boughton and former Local Union Vice President Jeff Sellers initial conversations about changing representation. Boughton credited Sellers for his guidance and support through tough times.
“They just weren’t doing anything for us. They never cared about us — they cared more about our paycheck that was going to them,” Boughton said. “We had a conversation with POAM, but we felt like it was more a used car salesman talking to us. Come July (2024) we had a meeting with (GELC Labor Rep.) Joe (Stone) and (GELC Director) Jim Stachowski. Of the people that attended, a couple people were against it at first, but we moved forward and everything else has been great!”
They felt comfortable and in good hands with Stone, a retired City of Warren Foreman of Sanitation. “Joe, coming from the City of Warren, is very relatable. (The GELC) seems like our kind of people. They fit right in with us,” Boughton said. “We got a good feeling and we haven’t looked back. Joe has been early to everything, stays late. We don’t have to rush. Anytime we needed support on any of the issues that came up, he’s been there.”
The GELC helped them negotiate a three-year agreement with 10 percent wage increases. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, they kicked off the first year with a 4.5 percent wage increase and $750 signing bonuses for each member.
The dental coverage will double in 2026 with the maximum per person increasing from $1,000 to $2,000 annually. Employees currently pay $20 extra a month for the $2,000 coverage, but this will become the core plan in 2026 at no additional charge. Effective July 2025, Employees will receive Maternity and Paternity Leave. Before then, Employees had no paid leave to care for their newborns.
Employees kept their retirement benefits, with the Employer contributing 4 percent of Employees’ wages to their Healthcare Retirement Accounts and 1 percent Employee contribution. The Employer also contributes 15 percent to their 403(b) Defined Contribution plans with Employees contributing 4 percent. “Once Joe heard our retirement percentages, he laughed. We get a very high percentage toward our retirement,” Boughton said.
Boughton offered to be a spokesperson for the GELC to encourage other agencies who are on the fence about joining. “This is the Cadillac of all (Unions)! There’s no instance of hesitation of not jumping ship. As long as we have Joe as our Rep., or someone comparable to Joe, I don’t ever see us changing to anyone else,” he said. “I have only high things to say about GELC. We plan on going to the Steward Training in April. We may even make it up to the (POLC/GELC) Conference in Traverse City.”
AFSCME turned off Rochester Hills Employees during their conference, which Boughton described as “all political talk.” “We’re very diverse politically. They just want to be represented well, and I think GELC does a great job of doing that,” he said.
Having gone through a demotion due to the recession and not having his concerns heard by AFSCME is what inspired Boughton to lead the Local. “It was very upsetting to me just to be treated that way. There was no empathy, no caring,” he said. “I ended up having to teach my job to the other guy. Six months later … it didn’t work out for him and I got my old job back. Either A, I don’t care about the Union or option B, I make sure no else gets treated the way I got treated.”
Now he feels the voices of all his members are heard loud and clear. “I’ve gotten more service in 6 months than in the 12 to 13 years I was kind of leading with AFSCME,” Boughton said. “I only have the best things (to say) about switching to GELC and Joe is by far the best Rep. we have ever had in my 15 years being the President/Vice President of the Union!”
