Dept Human Service employees protest working conditions (Michigan) [View All]

[chill_wind]

DHS employees protest working conditions
By Eartha Jane Melzer 5/7/10 5:17 PM

Workers from the state Dept. of Human Services rallied outside a state office building in downtown Detroit today in protest of escalating caseloads and proposed legislation that would cut their benefits, the Detroit News reports.

Protesters said that they were angry about a proposal to address the state budget shortfall by increasing employee contributions and reducing health care benefits for some workers and retirees. These cost-cutting proposals come as a reduced state work force is being asked to deal with a drastically increased need for social services in Michigan.

The problem is most acute for the human services department as it has juggled in recent years a record number of welfare requests. In 2009, one out of four Michiganians were on assistance, either in the form of food stamps, Medicaid, state disability or child development and care assistance. Union officials have clamored for additional workers.

Protesters said the Department of Corrections is similarly suffering from a staff shortage. Caseloads have noticeably increased for parole and probation agents, union members said, as the state releases a record number of parolees as part of its ongoing prisoner re-entry program.

Last year’s budget impasse forced DHS to cut 350 workers.

The Detroit News has reported that the welfare assistance caseload in Michigan has swelled to 2.4 million cases, raising per-worker caseloads from 320 to 740.

http://michiganmessenger.com/37613/dhs-employees-protest-working-conditions


The distressed times here for so many-- workers and people in great need-- has to be awful.