Milwaukee police union, city reach 'tentative' labor agreement

MILWAUKEE - The city of Milwaukee and the police union on Tuesday, Oct. 21, announced they've reached a "tentative, voluntary" labor agreement.

What they're saying:

In a joint statement, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee Police Association said the new contract would "cover a majority" of MPD's law enforcement officers.

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The terms of the agreement were not immediately disclosed, and it is subject to approval from the Milwaukee Common Council and police union members.

Push for pay raise

The backstory:

The Milwaukee Police Association and the city had not agreed to a contract since the last one ran out in 2022. Earlier this year, FOX6 News learned through government records that Milwaukee had offered a pay increase of roughly 9% over three years. The union wanted 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.

What comes next

What they're saying:

MPA President Alex Ayala said the city’s offer ended the arbitration process – but the union members still need to vote.

"It’s a good feeling, but obviously we’re not out of the woods yet," Ayala said. "It’s a really good offer that we want to present it to our membership. If the membership decides that this offer is not good enough, obviously, we’ll go back to arbitration and finish that off."

Ayala said a vote could come as soon as next week, after the union observes a mandatory seven-day review period once the deal is finalized.

"There's some other facts that are included in this deal, but obviously, I'm not at liberty to say right now," he said. "But, there's something there to fix that."

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The terms would become public once the Common Council votes on them. If the council passes it, then it’s onto the mayor.

FOX6 News reached out to Johnson’s office for an interview on Tuesday, which it declined.