Mediation sought in Hill County labor talks

Unable to find middle ground on a new contract, the Hill County Commission and a union representing sheriff's office employees have turned to mediation to resolve a number of issues.

Longevity and shift differential pay and cell phone use are at the center of the dispute, said Tom Bivens, a Montana Public Employees Association negotiator. A mediator from the state Board of Personnel Appeals will be assigned to help the two parties reach a resolution, he said.

The MPEA represents 21 deputies, corrections officers and dispatchers at the Hill County Sheriff's Office, Bivens said. With the excepti...