MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) announced Thursday that its members have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new labor agreement with the city.
The proposed agreement, which still requires approval from the Milwaukee Common Council, provides across-the-board wage increases, full retroactive pay for 2023–25, a 15.01% compounded pay increase through 2026, and labor peace between the City of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Police Association.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Milwaukee Police Association comes to tentative agreement with City of Milwaukee
It also guarantees protection from furloughs of officers through at least 2028, which the union described as an important safeguard for officers.
“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 the future. This agreement was not a gift from city leadership — it was earned through the perseverance and professionalism of Milwaukee’s officers.”
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The union said the agreement comes only after more than three years without a contract, months of frustration and six days of arbitration, as well as what it described as “exorbitant legal fees incurred by taxpayers because of the hiring of outside counsel by Mayor Cavalier Johnson.”
In the statement, the union also criticized the city’s leadership over what it described as years of inaction and “disregard” for Milwaukee police officers, saying in part, “No city that claims to value its police should ever again allow negotiations to reach this level of neglect and delay.”
The union expressed gratitude for support from the Common Council, particularly Alderman Peter Burgelis, who advocated in July for the city to settle the contract by adding a fourth year, and called on the council to approve the agreement.
In response to MPA’s announcement Thursday morning, Mayor Johnson, who was at City Hall on Thursday for the City Employee Recognition Awards Ceremony, said he was happy they were able to strike a deal but that “there's still some really, really important work that has to happen,” such as approval from the Common Council.
Watch: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson responds after the MPA votes to ratify a new labor agreement with the city
He also described the agreement as a good balance between his responsibility to support police and taxpayers alike, and pushed back on the union’s claims of his years of inaction and neglect, which he described as "laughable."
“I challenge folks to go back the past couple of generations and find a mayor who's been more supportive of police than I have been,” Johnson said. “You look at every single budget that I've produced as mayor — I'm putting the maximum amount of support towards the police: three classes, the max we can do, 65 recruits in each of those classes, the max that we can do. So I think it's kind of laughable to say that I'm not supportive of police.”
Alderman Burgelis applauded the MPA and the city for reaching a tentative agreement, thanking both the mayor and MPA leadership in a statement for their work in reaching a resolution.
You can read his full statement below:
"I appreciate the Milwaukee Police Association and the City of Milwaukee for reaching a tentative agreement that restores labor peace and stability for our officers and residents alike. Milwaukee officers perform a critical service under increasingly challenging conditions, and fair compensation, job stability, and respect for their professionalism are key to ensuring our city remains safe and strong. This new contract represents progress for officers and also for taxpayers by avoiding further costly arbitration and providing clarity for our city’s future workforce planning. We have a lot of officers to hire and this makes Milwaukee an even more competitive place for good officers to protect and serve. I want to thank Mayor Johnson, our City Labor Negotiator, and MPA leadership who worked diligently to bring this important and serious matter to resolution. Our shared goal must continue to be a safe, fair, and forward-looking Milwaukee where public safety employees and residents alike can thrive together."
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