Muskegon County approves creation of expanded senior clerk role after union objects to reclassification

Muskegon County commissioners voted to approve a request from the county clerk to create an expanded senior county clerk specialist position with supervisory responsibilities, despite objections from the Teamsters union that the reclassification would remove work from the bargaining unit.

Angie Knowles, chief steward for the Teamsters General Employee Unit, told the board in public comment that the union opposes the clerk's request (WM2411-103) and cited contract language: "a classification may not be removed from the bargaining unit by changing the title or modifying the work assignments." Knowles said the union believes the move would weaken membership and is not based on a specific operational need.

County Clerk Karen Boyd addressed the board during the Ways & Means discussion and said the office previously sought a senior county clerk specialist for circuit court and vital records; with duties expanded, the position now includes supervisory responsibilities such as conducting evaluations, discipline and acting as an executive designee when the clerk is absent. Boyd said the county is not eliminating the union classification but is not filling the prior union position because of budget constraints and that the new role requires different responsibilities.

Kristen Owing, the county human resources director, explained the legal and administrative distinction the county used to analyze the position's bargaining status, describing a supervisory analysis that differentiates quasi-supervisory input from formal disciplinary authority that would more clearly move a role out of the bargaining unit.

The board took a roll-call vote on the Ways & Means items that included the clerk position request (WM2411 series). The clerk recorded yes/no counts across the listed WM items and the position creation items were recorded as approved in the recorded roll call. No further litigation or grievance was resolved on the record at the meeting; the union had publicly stated its contract objection during the comment period and the county responded with HR analysis and a vote to approve the requested reclassification.

The action taken was a formal personnel classification change recorded by the board; the union's objections are on the public record and may be pursued through the contract grievance process outside the board meeting. The procedural next steps are implementation of the reclassified position within the clerk's budget and potential further action if the union files a grievance.