COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to take formal action Tuesday which would authorize the county to contact the Police Officers Association of Michigan and negotiate a memorandum of understanding as soon as possible concerning wages for 911 dispatchers in Branch County.
The P.O.A.M. is the union representing Branch County 911 dispatchers. Issues over wages when compared to other nearby counties have been ongoing even though the union and the county came to a contract agreement around the first of the year.
Commissioners voted on Thursday following a 45 minute closed session for union negotiations to bring the motion forward to next week’s regular meeting.
The action came after the Branch County 911 Board held a special meeting Wednesday as Branch County Central Dispatch tries to deal with continuing staffing issues.
Branch County 911 Director Kurt Spalding said they only have seven employees at the present time which is four short of being fully staffed.
