Milwaukee police officers could see significant pay raises and job protections under a tentative contract agreement announced Thursday, ending more than three years of negotiations that included months of frustration and nearly a week of arbitration.
The Milwaukee Police Association voted to approve the deal, which now heads to the Common Council for final approval next month.
Contract Details
If approved by the Common Council, the agreement would provide across-the-board wage increases, full retroactive pay for 2023 through 2025, and a more than 15% compounded pay increase through 2026. The contract also guarantees protection from furloughs of officers through at least 2028.
Community Opposition
Grassroots organizers expressed disappointment with the terms, arguing the money could be better spent elsewhere.
“We’re thinking about money going towards that for these cops, and half the time they aren’t even catching these perpetrators, so I find that not really adding up logic-wise,” Kayla Patterson, Interim co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression…