Milwaukee, WI
MPS staff to get phased inflationary raises despite union objections
MPS staff protest budget cuts, layoffs and for cost-of-living raises
Milwaukee Public School staff protest budget cuts, layoffs and for cost-of-living raises
Milwaukee Public Schools teachers and other staff will receive cost‑of‑living raises next school year under a plan the Milwaukee School Board approved April 28, but not on the timeline the teachers union had pushed.
Following about two and a half hours in closed session, the board voted 7-1 to implement a 1.5% wage increase for staff starting in July and another 1.13% increase in January. Board member Mimi Reza voted against the plan, while Katherine Vannoy recused herself.
The cumulative 2.63% raise matches the rate of inflation and is the maximum amount the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association can bargain for under state law. The union and the district had negotiated the raises for over two months but failed to reach an agreement.
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has said delaying a portion of the wage increases would save MPS money as it faces a $46 million budget deficit. The inflationary raises for MTEA-represented employees are estimated to cost about $10.6 million.
“Tonight’s Board vote shows we value our employees and their commitment to our students while also building a budget that will help us restore the district’s fiscal standing,” Cassellius said in a statement. “There were no easy decisions here, however we are ultimately bringing employees to a full 2.63% increase by January while maintaining our obligation to present a balanced budget to the Board next month.”
The district previously presented two other options to the union, including plans that would have delayed raises until January for some or all employees. The plan that board members approved gives workers the largest wage increase among the three options, said Robert Sanders, a city attorney who served as bargaining counsel for MPS.
The union’s sole ask, however, was to receive the full 2.63% hike to base wages by July 1. Union members had demanded MPS officials accept the MTEA’s offer in various protests throughout April.
The union presented no other options, Sanders told the board. He said the district then sought mediation, and the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission declared the parties at an impasse. The district put forth the phased raises as its final offer, which the union rejected.
“The district appreciates MTEA’s engagement throughout this process,” Sanders said. “While MTEA did not provide a counter proposal, the views and concerns MTEA shared informed the district’s decision to identify (this) option as its best and final offer.”
School boards may unilaterally implement a final wage offer after a mediator declares an impasse, though the move is risky because it could potentially violate labor law for failure to bargain in good faith, according to information from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.
The teachers union already filed a complaint with the state’s employment relations commission on April 24, arguing the district mishandled the negotiations and misrepresented the savings associated with its proposals to the public.
“It is our hope that through this Prohibited Practices complaint to and in mediation with WERC, MPS will be compelled to bargain in good faith with MTEA and to be honest with our community,” MTEA President Ingrid Walker-Henry said in a statement April 27.
Walker-Henry previously said MPS staff have regularly received raises to match cost-of-living inflation over the last seven years, and such increases are necessary to stabilize retention and recruitment. Union leaders have said the MTEA’s preferred proposal would cost about $2.2 million more than the district’s plan.
The latest inflationary raises apply to all employees represented by the union, including teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, social workers and interpreters, among others. The district said it also intends to ask the board to extend the increases to employees who are not represented by MTEA, similar to how MPS has handled raises in past years.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla’s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department says it will do monthly reviews of call data to identify nuisance properties.
It follows efforts by a local group that says thousands of properties should have been cited under the city’s nuisance ordinance.
Chronic nuisance property ordinance
What we know:
The ordinance was created in 2001 to address nuisance properties in the city, and the impact they can have on quality of life.
But in recent years, the ordinance has been used less and less.
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It was one of the issues before the steering and rules committee on Monday, June 8, after a push by local group Common Ground.
Milwaukee Common Council Steering and Rules Committee
It was already working on crunching the numbers when federal prosecutors charged one of the largest landlords on the city’s south side, and others, with allegedly running a drug trafficking enterprise through rental properties.
Ultimately, Common Ground says thousands of properties across the city should have been declared a nuisance, but weren’t.
A nuisance premises can be cited if it reaches certain thresholds of calls for service within a period of time and the calls are substantiated.
Milwaukee Common Council Steering and Rules Committee
And if the problem isn’t addressed, it could result in fines.
On Monday, Milwaukee police said it’s a process that takes time, but says it’s changing its procedures and reviewing calls for service each month.
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What they’re saying:
“We’re also doing a deeper dive into that data analysis, requiring all of our district captains to address any, to review those properties and if they choose not to ‘nuisance’ the property that is eligible to be ‘nuisanced,’ why not,” said Milwaukee Police Department Chief of Staff Heather Hough.
It’s important to note that Milwaukee alders urged the importance of residents calling police about nuisance properties, so there is a record to look back on for if or when a property falls under that nuisance ordinance.
The Source: FOX6 attended the Milwaukee Common Council’s Steering and Rules Committee to produce this story.
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Common Council Steering & Rules Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday afternoon, June 8, to discuss ongoing crime and safety concerns.
This comes on the heels of an apparent street takeover on Milwaukee’s south side on Sunday night, June 7.
South Side safety
What we know:
Back in April, community leaders and residents on Milwaukee’s south side said crime concerns have left many feeling unsafe, prompting a new effort to address the issue.
Common Ground, a coalition of community members and leaders, launched a South Side Safety Plan after six months of research into crime in the area.
The plan outlines five focus areas: accountability, proactive neighborhoods, police relationships, policy reform and prevention. An action team on the south side is expected to help implement those strategies.
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Common Council President Jose Perez was among the leaders participating in that discussion. He told FOX6 News a public hearing would be held on June 8 to address public safety and what still needs improvement.
On the agenda for Monday’s meeting, Perez sponsored a communication file from Milwaukee police about part two crime data. We are expecting to hear about how the Milwaukee Police Department goes about collecting, assessing and reporting crime data.
“Something is going on that people aren’t reporting crime – and many times we can’t address things if we don’t know about them,” said Common Council President Jose Perez.
The meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Apparent street takeover
Dig deeper:
Monday’s meeting comes on the heels of an apparent street takeover on Milwaukee’s south side on Sunday night, June 7.
FOX6 News went to the scene near 13th and Mitchell, where a large crowd gathered – blocking the intersection and stopping traffic in all directions. There were cars speeding and doing donuts and motorcycles swerving. Some cars had people on top of or hanging out of them while in motion.
Several Milwaukee police squads blocked off the area with lights activated as crime scene tape went up across different streets. The scene was active for hours, clearing just before 10 p.m.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police responded to an apparent “street takeover” on the city’s south side Sunday night, June 7.
13th and Mitchell
What we know:
FOX6 News went to the scene near 13th and Mitchell, where a large crowd gathered – blocking the intersection and stopping traffic in all directions. Some vehicles had people on top of or hanging out of them while in motion.
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Several Milwaukee police squads were blocking the area with lights activated. Crime scene tape was seen blocking a few streets in the area.
What we don’t know:
Milwaukee police at the scene would not comment on whether they were investigating the gathering as a street takeover. It’s not clear how many people were involved or whether anyone was arrested, cited or injured.
Apparent street takeover near 12th and Mitchell
Several Puerto Rican flags were spotted in the crowd. Earlier Sunday, a Puerto Rican parade marched down Oklahoma Avenue and a festival was held at Humboldt Park – both events were at least a mile away from 13th and Mitchell. It’s not clear if the apparent takeover involved anyone who was previously at either event.
What is a street takeover?
The backstory:
FOX6 News has covered what local law enforcement and other municipal leaders have described as street takeovers for more than a year. Those leaders have described them as large gatherings that often include huge crowds, speeding cars, burnouts and even fireworks. Often fueled by social media, the takeovers block intersections as the people in the crows watch and perform reckless acts.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: FOX6 News went to the scene and spoke to Milwaukee police.
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