Ortonville- A mediation session last month between the village and Teamsters Local 214 representing the Ortonville Department of Public Works employees led to the resolution of several contract issues.
Local 214 Trustee Les Barrett said from the talks, it was established that DPW employees will have two 15-minute breaks each day; there will be a resonable amount of clean-up time; employees will be paid double-time for working a holiday; paid sick time will be 12 days per year; any outside employment by DPW employees will not conflict with their village job; during the summer months, employees will work four 10-hour days per week (and language regarding this was also worked out); employees will keep their current vacation accruals; the village will not be responsible for the loss or theft of employee possessions and seasonal part-time employees will be able to work 30 hours per week. Additionally, the cell phone package was negotiated, as well as the coverage for the short-term disability program (anything under six months). There will be no long-term disability, instead, employees would go into long-term absence without pay.
Issues still to be determined include layoffs, promotions, dental and optical coverage, retirement, commercial driver’s license, a vehicle for the supervisor or crew leader person, subcontracting, wages, longevity and worker’s compensation supplements.
‘Until we have an agreement we’re always far apart,? said Barrett. ‘We’re closer than we were six or eight months ago. We got half done in one meeting, it was pretty productive. We’re not satisfied, but we got a lot done.?
Village Manager Ed Coy had no comment.
The DPW employees filed for Teamsters Local 214 representation in April 2003. The union is the largest in the state with more than 9,000 members, including three bargaining units at the Brandon School District’food service, custodial and maintenance, bus drivers, and mechanics.

The village objected to the DPW supervisor being included in the bargaining unit, but following a hearing in December 2003 before an administrative law judge for the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, the commission ruled in favor of all three DPW employees being included in the bargaining unit. Bargaining rights were awarded after a 2-1 vote in a September 2004 election.

Contract talks began April 7 and during a closed session Sept. 26 on labor contract negotiations, the village decided to set up a meeting with the state mediator.

In mediation, a state employee funded by taxpayers attempts to help the two sides resolve open issues. The mediator’s only goal is to get an agreement, says Barrett. Mediation will continue, with possible additional meetings, as long as progress is deemed able to be made. If mediation does not resolve all issues, the sides will go to fact-finding, which Barrett likens to arbitration, in which each side explains to a fact-finder why they believe they are correct and the fact-finder makes a recommendation.

The next mediation session is set for Dec. 5.