Milwaukee police union 'overwhelmingly' votes to ratify new contract

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee's police union on Thursday announced its members "overwhelmingly" voted to ratify a new labor agreement with the city. The Common Council must still give formal approval.

New deal

By the numbers:

According to the Milwauke Police Association, the offer that members ratified is for a 14.25% base salary increase over four years that, when compounded, amounts to a 15.01% increase. That means back pay for 2023-2025 and higher pay in 2026.

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What they're saying:

"This is going to help with retention. Officers, hopefully, are now not going to leave for other jurisdictions like we've been seeing, because now our wages are competitive to those places," said Ayala.

FOX6 News asked Mayor Cavalier Johnson where the city will get the millions of dollars the new contract demands.

Johnson: "We try to make sure that we account for those things, but I'm really happy with where we are because I've got a responsibility, not just to make sure that we're supporting police, but also supporting taxpayers as well."

Calvi: "Might there have to be cuts elsewhere because, I mean, you're going to have to go back and write a check for previous years, millions and millions of dollars. Is that going to mean cuts to lead programs, to other services? 

Johnson: "We consistently monitor this when we're working on these sorts of negotiations, we always know that there's a possibility for things like that to happen in a contract negotiation. So there have been a lot of conversations with my budget office and the union as well. So I think we'll be in a pretty good spot.

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MPA said 83% of its members voted "yes" on Wednesday, while 17% voted "no." In a Facebook post after the vote, the union criticized the mayor for the three-year delay.

"It's not fair for the police officers that are risking their lives every day, getting shot, getting killed in the line of duty, for the mayor just to say, 'Well, now that I feel like I'm going to lose, here's an offer,' when the entire time they could have done it three years ago, because they had the money," said Ayala.

"It's actually kind of laughable," Johnson said. "I mean, you can go back a couple of generations, I think, in Milwaukee and you will find that there's been no mayor – no mayor who has been as supportive of the police department and the Milwaukee police officers as I have. It's kind of ridiculous."

Dig deeper:

The union and mayor said they both hope the contract will help bring more recruits to the city's police force. Johnson said budgets have called for three recruiting classes of 65 each, but the actual sizes have been much smaller – some recently with as few as 25 graduates.

"I think that now that we're going to competitive to other jurisdictions around the area, this is going to now really drive a desire for people to be Milwaukee police officers," Ayala said.

The deal would make MPD officers some of the highest paid in Wisconsin.

Contract negotiations

Timeline:

So, how did we finally get here? The union and the city had not agreed to a contract since the last one ran out in 2022. From there, negotiations were delayed.

One delay came from the city and the union getting tied up in the push for the state funding law known as Act 12, which was signed into law in June 2023 and took effect in January 2024. Then, the city experienced staffing and lawyer changes.

Arbitration officially began in September 2025. And just nine days ago, the two sides paused arbitration after reaching a tentative agreement on Oct. 21.

The MPA's members voted to ratify the new contract offer on Thursday night, Oct. 29. 

What's next:

The Common Council must still approve the terms of the deal, and a vote is set for Nov. 25. It would be unusual for members to reject a negotiated contract. 

The backstory:

Earlier this year, FOX6 News learned through government records that Milwaukee had offered a pay increase of roughly 9% over three years before arbitration. The union at that time was seeking a 12.75% raise, including back pay.

The MPA said officers deserve to be the highest paid in Wisconsin. Right now, their pay ranges from roughly $63,000 to $84,000 per year. That’s less than officers earn at several departments in the area.

The union complained that Johnson gave himself a 15% pay raise. In truth, the 15% raise was for all elected city leaders, and it did not start until after the mayoral election in 2024. It was also the first raise for elected city leaders since 2008.

MPA's announcement

What they're saying:

 In a Facebook post Thursday, the Milwaukee Police Association wrote:

The Milwaukee Police Association membership has overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new labor agreement with the City of Milwaukee, which covers most of our department’s sworn law enforcement officers. The agreement’s terms still require approval from the Milwaukee Common Council.

The proposed agreement provides across the board wage increases; full retroactive pay for 2023-2025 and 15.01% compounded pay increase through 2026 and Labor Peace between the City of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Police Association. This contract is a strong deal for Milwaukee’s police officers. It also guarantees protection from furloughs of officers through at least 2028 - an important safeguard for those who have already sacrificed so much to keep this city safe.

"The MPA fought hard for fair wages and long-term stability, but our work is never done. Officers deserve to be paid more for the dangerous, high-stakes work they perform every single day," said Alexander Ayala, President of the Milwaukee Police Association. "We can’t ignore that the ‘defund the police’ attitude is still alive and well inside the Mayor’s office at City Hall and this agreement protects our officers into future. This agreement was not a gift from City leadership—it was earned through the perseverance and professionalism of Milwaukee’s officers."

This agreement comes only after more than three years without a contract, months of frustration, and six days of arbitration – not to mention the exorbitant legal fees incurred by taxpayers because of the hiring of outside counsel by Mayor Cavalier Johnson. It should not have taken this long for the City’s leadership to do what’s right for the men and women who keep Milwaukee safe every day. Mayor Johnson’s decision to finally open his eyes at the eleventh hour does not erase years of inaction or disregard for the officers who have continued to serve with professionalism and integrity despite the lack of support from the Mayor.

No city that claims to value its police should ever again allow negotiations to reach this level of neglect and delay.

"Our officers have shown remarkable dedication by continuing to serve this city for more than three years without a raise and contract," Ayala said. "They never stopped showing up, never stopped protecting this community, and never stopped doing the hard work that keeps Milwaukee safe. This agreement is the result of their perseverance—not the Mayor’s last-minute effort."

MPA is grateful for the support our members have received from the Common Council. Back in July, Ald. Peter Burgelis strongly advocated that the City settle the contract by adding a fourth year – a move that would have put us right where we are today – without costly arbitration.

The MPA now calls on the Milwaukee Common Council to approve this agreement swiftly so that our officers can finally receive the stability and recognition they have earned.

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.

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