MILWAUKEE -- Mayor Tom Barrett is fighting with the Milwaukee police and fire unions about their contracts as he balances the city's budget.
Their demands are so outlandish. We think the public should know about them, Barrett said.
Barrett sent out a letter asking for the members of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association to make pension and health care concessions. The Milwaukee Police Association, on the other hand, is advertising the concessions it's willing to make, and the negotiations have gone from the bargaining table to the public square.
(We're) just absolutely shocked that he would send a letter out to the world rather than simply sending it to me, said Michael Crivello, of the MPA.
We do not negotiate through the media, said Dave Seager, of the MPFFA.
The police union said it's willing to freeze wages and let new hires pay more pension costs. But Barrett said the union has other costly demands.
They want to take away the power of the police chief to designate how many positions are there, for example, (for) detectives, Barrett said.
The firefighters union, meanwhile, wouldn't discuss details of its contract offer.
For the firefighters, they're looking for double digit increase in pay and benefits over the next several years, at a time when most city workers are going to be taking fewer dollars home. I think that's outlandish, Barrett said.
The mayor said union firefighters are also asking for a 3 percent across the board pay increase, in addition to creating new payments of $15,000 for employees with 30 years of service, taking away the ability of managers to reschedule firefighters based on need and providing health insurance for domestic partners.
Barrett said he is not happy that the unions that supported Gov. Scott Walker get a pass in his budget repair bill, making the mayor's budget tougher to repair.
Two-thirds of my wages and salaries are for public safety and yet, the governor does not touch that, Barrett said.
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