Power, boredom and denial

    That Wednesday morning, the council had a special visit from the city’s labor negotiator, Roger Cheek. Cheek came before the council to ask members to approve an emergency rate change to some of the city’s employee benefits packages.

    For 11 minutes, he explained that the city Employee Benefits Board had met in August to approve rate increases for dental and visions plans. Cheek hoped to get quick approval on the changes from the council so that employees could get their benefits information as soon as possible in case they wanted to switch vision or dental plans. He stressed that the bulk of the rate increases would be born by the city, not the employees, and in some cases, rates went down. Nothing in the policies changed, he said.

    Councilwoman Everett asked whether the changes would alter how prescriptions were filled.

    No, Cheek reiterated, the policies would not change, just the rates.

    Cheek said his office would have brought the matter to the council sooner, but the council was on a month-long recess.

    “In the Labor Relations office ... we work all the time,” he laughed at one point.

    No one on the council laughed. Everett glared.

    “Just kidding,” he coughed, nervously.

    His request for quick approval was denied and the issue was adjourned to a later date.

    In that instant, the council took its most expansive action of the day: more than 19,000 city workers, they deemed, would get their insurance packages late.

    At 12:04 p.m., President Hill declared the meeting adjourned and banged his gavel. The council’s first official day back at work was over.

---

    You can reach Cameron McWhirter at (313) 222-2072 or cmcwhirter@detnews.com .