City may hire new lawyer to negotiate with MPA as office contracts remain at standstill
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new lawyer could be representing the city of Milwaukee as it continues to be at a standstill with the Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) over contracts for patrol officers.
Patrol officers have been without a contract since 2022 because the city and the MPA can’t come to an agreement about a new labor contract which includes officer wages.
“My officers put on a badge every day and they go and they take assignments and they get shot at and they get killed in the line of duty, but none of that resonates at City Hall,” said Alex Ayala, the president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
Ayala says patrol officers in the city of Milwaukee may have to keep waiting for a new contract.
“They’re gonna be spending more tax money to fight the police officers on their wage, to me, is appalling,” said Ayala.
On Monday morning, the Judiciary and Legislation Committee recommended the approval of a new attorney after the previous attorney resigned. The finance committee must vote on the hiring of a new attorney Tuesday before this resolution is presented to the full Common Council.
“We’re not going to agree to giving the city any more time to prep this new lawyer from coming in if it makes it past the full Common Council meeting,” said Ayala.
Without a new contract, patrol officers have been working under 2022 wages.
“Pay my officers what they deserve, so that you can get more recruits in the door and you can stop the people resigning to leave for other departments, for better wages,” said Ayala.
Ayala says officers are asking for competitive pay – something Mayor Cavalier Johnson's office says Milwaukee offers.
“Comparable to every other jurisdiction outside of Milwaukee that is getting fair wages, we’re asking for the same thing. We’re not asking for anything out of this world,” said Ayala.
In a statement sent to CBS 58, the mayor’s office stated, “The administration is not commenting on the negotiations. We want this settled at the bargaining table.”
Ayala says the MPA is ready to continue fighting for a new contract but is willing to take a fair wage offer from the mayor.
“My phone’s always on. Call me,” said Ayala.