Title
Resolution Supporting Equal Benefits & Opposing HB 4770 And 4771
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor has always been a leader in human rights;
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor was the first city in the State of Michigan to establish a Non-Discrimination Ordinance, and also the first to add protection for sexual orientation;
Whereas, The Michigan House recently passed House Bill 4770 and 4771 which prohibits public employers from providing certain benefits to public employees and will eliminate benefits for Other Qualified Adults;
Whereas, Employees at over 30 Michigan corporations can extend benefits to partners of either gender, including at Chrysler, Dow Chemical, DTE Energy, Ford, General Motors, Guardian Industries, Kellogg Co., Steelcase, TRW Automotive, and Whirlpool. Employees at over 30 national corporations with major presence in Michigan also offer such benefits, including AT&T, Best Buy, Comcast, Delta Airlines, General Electric, Google, Kroger, JC Penney, Macy’s, Marriott, Sears, Target, Toyota and Verizon;
Whereas, Many public entities provide health care benefits for domestic partners of either gender, including the State of Michigan, at least 10 public universities, at least five city and county governments, and numerous public school districts;
Whereas, Major employers in Michigan and across the country recognize that extending health care benefits eligibility to domestic partners is crucial to attracting and keeping talent. A 1999 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found such benefits were the Number One recruitment incentive for executives and the third most effective for managers and line workers; and
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, the State of Michigan, and other public employers in our state must be able to compete with the private sector and with public employers in other states to attract the best and brightest talent to our workforce;
RESOLVED, The City of Ann Arbor reaffirm...
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