The five big unions that represent the majority of Michigan’s 50,000 state workers will join forces to bargain with Gov.
“„Under the change, the unions would bargain jointly on economic issues but maintain separate contracts and continue to bargain separately on noneconomic issues.
“„Contracts that spell out economic issues for the unions don’t expire until Sept. 30, 2012. But the administration wants to open existing contracts to find $145 million in employee savings during the fiscal year that begins a year earlier. Negotiations between the Office of State Employer and the UAW started July 26.
“„Earlier this year, the same unions teamed up to issue a report on ways the state could save money. The report focused on reducing the number of managers and cutting the cost of state contracts with private companies.