Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield is spearheading an effort to create new incentives for construction contractors that provide health insurance and retirement benefits or participate in registered apprenticeship programs. The ordinance would offer new “equalization credits” that give qualifying companies a better chance of winning bids for city contracts. Some Detroit small business owners are worried the changes will shift preference toward suburban contractors that work with unions.

“This ordinance is not a push to get contractors to become unionized,” the council president told BridgeDetroit in a Thursday interview. “I’m a huge supporter of union contractors and union work, but that’s not what this is about. It’s strictly about the employee and how they are treated.”

[Charity] Dean said she’s had frustrations with the council introducing proposals without consulting her organization [Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance], which represents 1,200 Black-owned businesses. She said the proposed ordinance is a chance to look at other reforms to procurement policies in Detroit, and small businesses should have a greater say in potential changes.