MPSEA Members,

In an email to all City of Madison staff dated 11/4/21, Mayor Rhodes-Conway provided lots of information about Covid-19 issues. MPSEA would like to echo all of the Mayor’s information, and encourage all City staff to get themselves and their families fully vaccinated before the holiday season!

Covid-19 Booster Shots

Free Covid-19 booster shots are now widely available in Wisconsin, including at the Public Health Madison Dane County’s (PHMDC) Alliant Energy Center clinic. Many Madison employees and residents are eligible for booster shots NOW. You can easily check your eligibility here: https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine#boosters.

If you are eligible for a booster, the City of Madison and MPSEA both encourage you to receive one ASAP! A large study in US veterans has shown a decline in Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness over time. This suggests that that booster shots are a critical part of remaining fully vaccinated!

Note that “mixing and matching” booster shots, as described on the PHMDC website, IS allowed and in some cases encouraged. If you have questions about the right booster shot for you, MPSEA encourages you to speak with your doctor.

Book your booster shot appointment here: https://www.publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccination-appointments.

Covid-19 Vaccination for Children Ages 5-11 yrs Old

On Tuesday, Nov 2, the CDC approved the two-shot-series Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children 5-11 yrs old. This comes as a huge relief to parents of young children, including many MPSEA Board members. Child-appropriate doses of the vaccine have been shipped to health departments, pharmacies, and care provider offices throughout Wisconsin, and are now being administered.

PHMDC is now offering the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 yrs at the Alliant Energy Center! Appointments may be booked here: https://www.publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccination-appointments. Demand in Dane County is high, but several local pharmacies and health care providers are also working to get young children vaccinated, so there are many options to look at!

It’s important to note that the vaccine dose and protocol for children 5-11 yrs is different than for older children or adults, so while it’s tempting, please don’t book your young child in for a 12+ shot!

If you have any questions about the above information, or anything else, please contact any Board member. We’ll try our best to help, or to direct you to someone that can do it better!

As MPSEA members, coworkers, Madison-area residents, and/or parents, we truly mean – SOLIDARITY.

The MPSEA Board

MPSEA Members:

Last week, the Mayor released her 2022 Executive Operating Budget, which may be found here (https://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/documents/budget/2022/operating/executive/ExecOper.pdf). The budget includes funding for several items relevant to MPSEA members, most notably the following:

• A 1% pay increase for all General Municipal Employees, including MPSEA members, in Jan 2022. This is in keeping with the MPSEA-supported wage parity resolution passed in Sept 2021 (https://madison.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5144552&GUID=C0F6E482-39EE-4EF3-ADF4-2F2E3919F32A&Options=ID|Text|Attachments|&Search=66091).

  • The Common Council-adopted wage parity proposal (linked above) includes a “me too” clause linking pay increases of general municipal employees to increases given to protective service employees (CG 11-14) from 2022-2024. Should sworn police and fire employees receive a raise above 1% in 2022, MPSEA and our Coalition partners will work with City management to ensure that that clause is honored.

• Removal of the 1% longevity pay penalty for employees in CG 18, 43 and 44 that live outside the City of Madison. This change will be permanent and reflected in the relevant Employee Handbooks in addition to next year’s Operating Budget.

  • This penalty, levied only on MPSEA-represented compensation groups, is as long-standing as it is unfair. MPSEA would like to thank Mayor Rhodes-Conway for recognizing the contributions of CG 18, 43 and 44 and for working with us to set this right. We look forward to working with City management to develop an equitable residency incentive program to encourage City employees to make Madison their home.

The 2022 Operating Budget is far from finalized and adopted, but MPSEA will continue to advocate for member interest through this process and beyond. If you have any questions regarding MPSEA’s ongoing work, please reach out to any Board member.

In Solidarity,

The MPSEA Board

MPSEA Members:

Last evening (9/21), the Common Council voted in favor of the Labor Coalition-supported alternate wage parity resolution. This resolution, which includes an accelerated pay raise schedule (relative to the original June 2021 resolution) AND an automatic “me-too” clause tying pay increases for General Municipal Employees to raises given to sworn MPD/MFD members, passed on a 19-1 vote.

https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-council-oks-matching-nonunion-worker-raises-to-pay-bumps-for-firefighters-police/article_a26f7821-6d76-5564-804e-140ca2318661.html

The MPSEA Board would like to thank all the alders who recognized the contributions of and voted in favor of wage parity for general municipal employees. In particular, a HUGE thank-you is owed to the resolution sponsors: Alders Abbas, Bennett, Carter, Figueroa Cole, Vidaver, Evers, Verveer, Martin, Foster, Albouras, Lemmer, Wehelie and Benford. The Board encourages MPSEA members who work with or are represented by supportive alders to reach out and thank them for their efforts and support on this issue!

Thanks to all of our members who registered in support and/or expressed your support for alders. This truly would not have happened had you not engaged so strongly in the process.

Although this topic is laid to rest for now, MPSEA is continuing to advocate for members’ interests on several other fronts. We will provide further updates as we have them! And please remember that MPSEA and the Board are a resource for you, our members – if you have any questions or concerns about work-related issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to any Board member!

Solidarity.

The MPSEA Board

MPSEA Members:

This Tuesday (9/21/21), the resolution to advance wage parity for general municipal employees (Legistar #66091 ALTERNATE: https://madison.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5130521&GUID=81780095-4DF3-4B8A-A5FE-7762D829A023&Options=ID|Text|Attachments|&Search=66091) will be voted on at Common Council, and we need your help to support it! This alternate resolution was developed with input from the Labor Coalition (MPSEA, MCAA, Local 6000 and Local 236), and is significantly better for general municipal employees than the Mayor’s original resolution. The alternate resolution was passed by the Finance Committee on 9/13/21 by a 4-2 vote.

There are two ways that you can help support this important legislation:

• Register in support at the Common Council meeting (9/21/21)

  • Go to the following web site: https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/common-council/9-21-2021

  • Click on the box that reads “REGISTER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT”

  • On the registration page, enter Agenda Item #27. A box reading “66091 ALTERNATE: A resolution to provide a plan for wage increase parity to general municipal employees” should auto-populate.

  • Select “Support”

  • Indicate your choice to speak/not speak/answer questions

  • For the question asking “Are you representing an organization or person other than yourself at this meeting?,” select “NO”

  • Enter your contact information. Instructions to join/watch the meeting will be sent to the email you provide. Please provide a personal email address; do NOT use your City-issued email address.

• Contact alders and request that they show support for full wage parity for general municipal employees by supporting Legistar #66091 ALTERNATE. Using your personal email or phone (do NOT use your City-issued email or phone), contact alders individually (by phone or their district email), or simply email your comments to allalders@cityofmadison.com.

Current sponsors of the alternate resolution include Alders Syed Abbas (District 12), Juliana Bennett (District 8), Sheri Carter (District 14), Yannette Figueroa Cole (District 10), Regina Vidaver (District 5), Tag Evers (District 13), Michael Verveer (District 4) and Arvina Martin (District 11). If you are represented by any of these alders (https://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/councilMembers/map.cfm), please make an effort to reach out and thank them for their support of the City’s general municipal employees!

If you have any questions regarding this issue or other matters, you can reach out to any MPSEA Board member. Thank you all for your support and your hard work – we’re honored to represent and work alongside you here at the City of Madison.

Solidarity.

The MPSEA Board

MPSEA Members:

Yesterday evening (9/13), the Finance Committee approved a resolution (Legistar #66091, Alternate/Version 2) to advance wage parity for general municipal employees. This resolution, which was developed with input from the Labor Coalition (MPSEA, MCAA, Local 6000 and Local 236), improves on the Mayor’s original June proposal in two key ways:

1. Includes a robust “me too” clause, which ensures that wage increases negotiated with sworn MFD/MPD members in the next 2-3 years are granted to general municipal employees as well.

2. Achieves wage parity six months faster (by Jan 2024) than the Mayor’s original proposal.

More information on the Finance Committee’s actions can be found in this article: https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/proposal-ties-raises-for-madisons-nonunion-workers-to-pay-bumps-for-police-firefighters/article_fcae9654-25ea-5945-a061-c6965f83931f.html.

MPSEA and the Coalition are grateful to the alders who sponsored and/or supported this proposal, many of whom spoke eloquently about the importance of wage parity as a concept, and the contributions of general municipal employees to how the City runs.

This is a step in the right direction! However, our work is not yet done – the Alternate Wage Parity resolution heads to the Common Council next Tuesday (9/21), where it needs your support! MPSEA is asking that all members help to show support for this resolution and for full wage parity for Coalition members. To do so, please contact alders (on your personal email or phone; do NOT use your work email or phone) to tell them you support the Coalition’s alternate proposal for Legistar #66091 (https://madison.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5130521&GUID=81780095-4DF3-4B8A-A5FE-7762D829A023&Options=ID|Text|Attachments|&Search=66091).  You can either email their district email, or simply use the “allalders@cityofmadison.com” email address.

If you have any questions regarding this issue or other matters, you can reach out to any MPSEA Board member. Thank you all for your support, and for the work that you do to keep the City of Madison running well!

Solidarity,

The MPSEA Board