POLICE UNION OKs CONTRACT BY 2-1 VOTE

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

The 1700 members of the Milwaukee Police Association voted two to one to ratify a contract offer between the MPA and City of Milwaukee at Serb Hall yesterday, Tuesday, October 9^th, 2007. The new contract will run through December 31st 2009, and will be a nice present for whoever the new chief will be. The previous contract expired December 31, 2006.

One of the major changes in the MPA agreement calls for employees to contribute to their health insurance premiums. This is a first for the Milwaukee Police Department. There are also provisions for HMO co-pays and for the establishment of a Wellness Committee. Employees who engage in risky behavior like smoking will eventually have to pay more for their coverage.

The settlement is the first one for Labor Negotiator Troy Hamblin who was appointed as the city’s labor negotiator by Mayor Tom Barrett in March, 2006, as reported here. Hamblin was previously labor negotiator for Milwaukee County, where, in eight contracts, he pushed for large changes in health insurance to save the county dollars. This contract will lead the way for additional unions to settle for similar terms and avoid costly arbitration.

Hamblin tells Milwaukeeworld that the contract was largely about "smaller issues" like health care costs which, today represent very big dollars for employers. "There was nothing other than health issues, which were the number one priority," he said. "We didn't get all we wanted , and the police didn't get all they wanted," he added.

Coming up: The Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization contract, representing Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, Deputy Inspectors, Inspectors and Deputy Chiefs expired on December 31st, 2003, and is getting rather stale. At this point, an arbitrator must still be named, according to Hamblin.