Amid battle over labor contract, MPA head says he's 'thinking of reaching out' to White House about National Guard, mayor counters

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the president of the Milwaukee Police Association said he'd welcome federal troops in Milwaukee, despite overwhelming opposition from city leadership.

Union head Alexander Ayala also said he's considering reaching out to the Trump administration to discuss deploying the National Guard in Milwaukee.

City leaders dismiss it as a negotiation tactic in a protracted contract battle. But it could invite national attention to a local issue.

The tactic could escalate a contentious battle that's been festering for a while.

Notably, unless there is an insurrection, only a governor can mobilize the National Guard, not a union president or anyone else.

But even just appealing to the White House could turn a local contract negotiation into a national issue.

We asked Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson if negotiations were this difficult under previous union leadership. He told us, "No. God, no. No."

For three years and counting, the City of Milwaukee and the police union have butted heads over a new labor contract. The two sides are currently in arbitration but could still negotiate and strike a deal at any time.

But the mayor says the union is no longer interested in having conversations or in working together, adding, "We just don't have that right now."

Ayala is fighting for higher wages for his members, and safer staffing levels.

He often targets the mayor directly, as he did Monday after a weekend of street takeovers, saying, "I just hope that the mayor is paying attention to what's going on." He added, "We don't have enough officers to deal with this. And it's on his hands."

The mayor said the city has offered a good deal with 9% pay raises, more than double what general city employees have gotten over the past few years.

And he says deals with the firefighter's union and police supervisors' union prove the city is willing to compromise.

But he said it's been a different story with the MPA. "I want to find the same sort of success with the MPA, as well. Unfortunately, its president seems to want to be political, as opposed to actually working to get a deal done in order to benefit his members. And that's unfortunate."

On Tuesday, Ayala ratcheted up the tension by saying he'd welcome federal troops in Milwaukee. He said he's thinking about reaching out to the Trump administration to discuss it and needs to consult his attorneys first.

As we've reported, almost all of Milwaukee's crime metrics are down significantly this year.

Johnson said, "The National Guard, boots on the ground in American cities, is not what we need right now."

Governor Tony Evers, again, dismissed the idea, saying of the National Guard Tuesday, "They're not trained police officers, simple as that." He went on to say, "We can handle this ourselves in the state of Wisconsin."

After videos of several street takeovers spread on social media over the weekend, we asked Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, "Do you have enough staff to respond to this right now?" He replied, "So, we are always making sure that we will respond to these calls."

Norman said MPD got support over the weekend from the sheriff's office and described the takeovers as a "complex situation."

"We welcome all of our partners," Norman said.

The mayor told us he's not resistant to federal help, just not with policing the city.

He pointed instead to joint taskforces, housing initiatives, investments in young people, and programs to attract more jobs to the city. Mayor Johnson said, "I would welcome the opportunity to work with the President's administration on things that really make a difference."

Milwaukee police officers have been working under their previous contract since it expired in 2022.

Arbitration is scheduled to start later this month, but an alderperson said the offers from the two sides are "very close" and they have the power to strike a deal at any time.

As for federal help, another alder told us, "We asked for FEMA, not the National Guard."