EUPTA elects officers and approves wage increases and higher board stipend

At its April 8 meeting the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority elected a full slate of officers and approved multiple personnel-related actions, including retroactive wage increases and a higher board stipend.

The board nominated and approved John Waltman as chair, Joe Henne as vice-chair and Lynda Garlitz as secretary/treasurer; the full slate was accepted by unanimous vote. The board reviewed an Equal Employment and Affirmative Action policy (similar to MDOT language) and tabled it until June 2025 pending federal clarification. The Local Procurement Policy was tabled until the May 2025 meeting.

The board unanimously approved the Earned Sick Time (ESTA) policy as presented. Following a closed session on employee and union items, the board approved retroactive wage increases effective Feb. 1, 2025: Neebish captains and deckhands were raised to match union comparison wages for Drummond and Sugar crews, and administrative staff received the same percentage increase. The board also voted to increase member stipends to $75 per meeting to align with comparable local boards.

Why it matters: Electing leadership sets the agency governance for the coming year; wage adjustments affect employee compensation and the agency’s payroll budget. Tabling the EEO/AA and procurement policies delays final adoption pending federal or state guidance.

What happens next: Staff will implement the wage changes retroactive to Feb. 1, 2025 and report any budgetary impacts in subsequent finance updates. The EEO/AA policy will return in June 2025 for further consideration.