As the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks approaches and the Labor Day holiday nears, Michigan’s borders have 27 fewer customs inspectors. The U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection told 27 of the 242 inspectors across the state not to report for work. No other state has seen such cuts, according to Frank Stanczak, president of the union that represents the workers, Local 46 of the American Federation of Government Employees. The inspectors — six at Port Huron, eight at Sault Ste. Marie, six at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and seven at the Ambassador Bridge — said their supervisors told them Aug. 20 that they were being laid off and to apply for unemployment benefits. But Kevin Weeks, director of field operations for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in Detroit, said the inspectors were merely placed on “nonduty status.” “They aren’t scheduled to work, but they’re still on the roll,” Weeks said Tuesday. He said the funding for the inspectors has run out. Full Story
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