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City outlines bargaining schedule with MPPOA, says initial exchange of offers will be public
Summary
City staff briefed the committee on upcoming labor bargaining with the Madison Professional Police Officers Association (MPPOA) and related protective‑service negotiations, outlining process steps, timing and topics within scope of bargaining.
City labor staff briefed the Finance Committee on July 28 about upcoming bargaining with the Madison Professional Police Officers Association (MPPOA) and related negotiations with protective‑service unions.
Kurt Rose, the city’s employee and labor relations manager, said bargaining with MPPOA will begin July 30; fire bargaining is expected to start in September. Rose reviewed the standard bargaining sequence: develop initial proposals, an open session for an initial exchange of offers (with reservation to amend), subsequent closed bargaining sessions, a tentative agreement if reached, union ratification, and council consideration of any ratified contract. He noted the current 12‑month Consumer Price Index is about 3% and referenced previous contract averages for the protective services group.
Rose explained that certain subjects cannot be bargained if they conflict with state or federal law or with plan designs for health insurance. Mandatory subjects (wages, hours and conditions of employment) must be negotiated, while other matters such as uniforms, training, staffing, grievance procedures and some specialty pay provisions are typically within scope. He also distinguished matters under the chief’s discretion (standard operating procedures, investigative processes, staffing decisions and training) from matters that may be negotiated as part of a contract.
Committee members asked for clarity on what the “initial exchange of offers in open session” means and whether that meeting is public; staff said the initial exchange is typically an open session and committed to providing more detail about public access. Members requested a clearer mapping showing which contract provisions have previously resulted in changes to department procedures so the committee and public can better understand how bargaining outcomes become operating policy. Staff said they will provide follow‑up material, and noted that detailed bargaining positions are confidential until a tentative agreement is reached.
Rose said staff will return to the finance committee with cost estimates tied to bargaining proposals and that regular closed‑session committee updates will be available.
