Service department employees vote to unionize

by Melissa Martin

City officials have announced that members of the city’s service department voted July 28 to unionize.

Negotiations are underway.

The service department workers will be the fourth bargaining unit in Brecksville. In July 2024, the city’s firefighters voted to unionize. Prior to that, the only city employees represented by unions included police sergeants and patrol officers.

In the meantime, for 2026, full-time service workers will receive raises of 3.5%, the same as nonunion municipal workers and police and firefighters. Service workers will earn between $27.63-$43.18 an hour. Housekeeping staff will make between $15.37-$20.87 an hour this year.

Law Director David Matty said that once negotiations are complete, the finalized contract will come to council for approval, as all other city bargaining contracts do.

Matty said negotiations are expected to wrap up in the coming weeks, with the contract finalized later this year or in early 2027.