By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The union contract of Brighton hourly clerical employees will expire at the end of the month, with talks being held at this time toward a new contract agreement.

All told, the city is involved in negotiations with two of the four unions representing city employees. Besides the clerical unit, the unions include the Department of Public Services unit, the Police Patrol-Detective Union and the Command Officers Union. The office workers are represented at the bargaining table by the Technical and Professional Office Workers of Michigan, or TPOAM.

The clerical union has six employees, three of whom are based at city hall, two at the police station and one at the Department of Public Services. According to city Human Resources Director Michelle Miller, the union’s business agent and union steward have met with her and the city’s labor attorney, where, in her words, "proposals were presented, explained, and discussed.” Miller says, again quoting, “There was productive dialogue between the parties and negotiations are moving along.”

Although the DPS workers’ contract doesn’t expire until 2023, the two sides previously agreed to a wage reopener this year when the agreement was ratified in 2019. The DPS workers are also represented in talks by the TPOAM. Meetings have been held between the city and union representatives to discuss a proposed cost of living increase for one year, and Miller says talks have been productive thus far, although there is no agreement yet.

Two Brighton Police Dept. employee groups also have union representation. They are the Police Patrol-Detective Union, with 11 members, and the Command Officers Union, with six members. Their contracts don’t expire until June 30th of 2023. Both units are represented at the bargaining table by the Police Officers Labor Council.