Union Claims State Workers Feared Retaliation if they Criticized Response to Flint Water Crisis

Mich. Governor calls for input from state workers on tainted Flint water despite alleged climate of intimidation.

Some representatives of state employees in Michigan say they are taking a recent letter from Governor Rick Snyder regarding the water crisis in Flint with a huge grain of salt.

In an email to state employees the Governor says what happened in Flint, where a cost-saving move to a new water supply left the city with contaminated water, can never be allowed to happen again in Michigan.

The Governor said it’s the responsibility of those working for the state to use good judgment in solving problems and express any concerns they have to those managing government departments. 

But the legislative liaison for UAW Local 6000, which represents about 17,000 state employees, says his membership has received mixed messages from the Governor.

Ray Holman talked about the Governor’s email with WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter.

Author

  • Quinn Klinefelter
    Quinn Klinefelter is a Senior News Editor at 101.9 WDET. In 1996, he was literally on top of the news when he interviewed then-Senator Bob Dole about his presidential campaign and stepped on his feet.