Macomb County Sheriff’s Corrections Officers were awarded significant increases in their shift differentials following an arbitration decision in favor of the POLC’s Last Best Offer.

“This is an excellent result,” said POLC Labor Attorney Brendan Canfield, adding that this is a groundbreaking case for the state. “This proceeding appears to be one of the first Act 312s for Corrections Officers in the State of Michigan since the Legislature expanded 312 eligibility in 2024.”

Macomb County Corrections, which is comprised of 180 Corrections Officers represented by the POLC, were in the process of bargaining with the County and had reached agreement on key monetary issues.

“Macomb County has experienced recruitment and retention issues, at least in part due to substandard wages and benefits,” Canfield said. 

To counteract these issues, the County offered to reinstate the Defined Benefit Pension. The Employer also agreed to wage increases of 5 percent in 2025, 3 percent in 2026 and another 3 percent in 2027. These same enhancements were offered to all other Macomb County law enforcement bargaining units.

However, the County refused to change the Corrections Officers low shift differential of $.50 cents per hour for afternoons and $1 per hour for midnights, which have been in place since at least 1999. All other Macomb County law enforcement bargaining units have received 3 percent shift differentials for afternoons and 6 percent for midnights since at least 2017. Deputies and Dispatchers have received 3 percent and 6 percent differentials since at least 1999.

The POLC advanced the matter to arbitration, seeking 3 percent and 6 percent shift differentials with retroactivity back to Jan. 1, 2025. The County argued the wage and pension improvements were enough and therefore refused to increase the differentials. The Employer offered status quo, although they did not claim a lack of ability to pay.

The Arbitrator awarded the POLC’s Last Best Offer of 3 percent and 6 percent shift differential. He based his decision on “internal equity” with other County Employees already receiving this benefit. The Arbitrator also cited the impact of afternoon and midnight shift work on Employees as well as the inflationary impact of a shift differential that hasn’t changed in over 2-1/2 decades. The Arbitrator did not award retroactivity based on the wages and benefits being comparable to neighboring communities.