The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved its first tentative labor contract with the Berrien County Road Department since taking the road operation over last year. At a Thursday meeting, the county commission agreed to a three-year contract with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324, which includes 51 employees, says Berrien County Road Department Director Jason Latham. He spoke with WSJM News about the contract and the affected employees.

“They do our chip seal program, pothole patching, mowing, trimming, and all of those road maintenance activities, and servicing our vehicles, our snowplows,” Latham said.

Latham tells us this new contract is in line with other county department contracts for the year.

“There is a pay increase,” Latham said. “Two percent for the first two years, and two and a half percent in year three.”

Latham says the negotiations went well, this being the first time the county did road employee negotiations. The road workers union has already approved the deal.

https://www.wsjm.com/2018/08/23/road-department-contract-approved/