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Teacher pay raises; Milwaukee Public Schools, teachers union deadlocked
MTEA and MPS are deadlocked over the timing of a 2.63% raise, with the union demanding a July start and the district proposing January 2027.
MILWAUKEE - There is a fight over your tax money, and how much of it will go to Milwaukee teachers – and that fight heated up on Monday, April 20.
Contract debate
What we know:
It is the teachers union versus Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). The two sides are millions of dollars apart.
On Monday, for the sixth time, both sides sat at the same table. They are negotiating next year's contract. Since they cannot agree, both sides agreed to go to mediation next week.
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The Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA) wants a cost of living raise of 2.63%. That is the maximum allowed under Act 10, which says public sector unions can negotiate raises up to the level of inflation.
The school district agrees with that number, but wants to ramp up to it.
When should raises start?
Dig deeper:
The bottom line of this fight is, when should the raises start? The union wants the raise to start on July 1. The district's proposals would get to the 2.63% mark six months later – by January 1, 2027.
On Monday, MTEA accused MPS of making a $7.5 million mistake in the proposals. MPS estimates payroll tax and benefit costs would be 53%. In a statement, district officials said, "MPS’s 53% benefit rate is correct and validated by external audits. Both the rate and our proposals have been validated by our team as well as veteran school finance expert who has worked for some of the nation’s largest school districts."
MTEA said that was a "gross overestimate." Union officials suggest that the real number is 17%, and that would be within what the district can afford.
What they're saying:
"We have solved your cost problem. MPS can afford the full 2.63% COLA on July first. And that should be a relief to every single person in the room," said Amy Mizialko, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA).
"I think I would agree with you if we had surpluses at the end of the year. I would say, you’re right, we budgeted too much for these and the costs came in less. But we don’t, because the rate is built on the totality of the performance of the program," said Judith Marte, Council of Great City Schools, an MPS consultant.
The school district is dealing with a $46 million budget hole.
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MPS' board has already approved plans to cut roughly 200 positions – from central office, assistant principals, and MPS said not classroom teachers.
At the same time, MPS advertised adding 89 spots for licensed teachers, and 63 paraprofessionals.
What's next:
On Tuesday night, the teachers union will host a town hall.
The Source: Information in this post was provided through interviews with personnel tied to MPS and MTEA.