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City workers and unions urge 6.5% pay increase in 2026 budget
Summary
City employees and union leaders testified at a Milwaukee Common Council public hearing urging the council to include a 6.5% pay increase in the 2026 budget, saying wages have lagged behind inflation and that low pay hurts recruitment and service delivery.
City employees, union leaders and retired city workers urged the Milwaukee Common Council at a public hearing to include a 6.5% wage increase in the proposed 2026 city budget, saying low pay undermines recruitment and service delivery across departments.
At the lectern, Ian Gunther, chief steward of AFSCME Local 47, said city workers have ‘‘come to the conclusion that we are well past due for compensation’’ and described long-term shortfalls. He said the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission recommended nearly 17% in raises since 2023 to keep up with the market but that the city had given only 3 to 4% in recent years. ‘‘Today, we humbly demand that only a quarter of what we deserve, 6 and a half percent,’’ Gunther said.
The union message was repeated by several city employees. Pam Fent, president of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, told the council that general city employees…
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