South Milwaukee Blog

Update: By the way, for those of you keeping score at home, this was the 1,000th post on South Milwaukee Blog. 🙂

Wherever you stand on the issue of public employee colletive bargaining — and if you read this blog, you know clearly where I stand — this much is clear: It is now all the more important to establish, clearly and in writing, the policies, work rules and compensation package for employees impacted by Act 10 and others who are not part of city unions.

That’s where the civil service manual comes in.

From health insurance to vacation to sick time to overtime, this document details just what we expect of civil service city employees at a broad level — and the public pledge of the pay and benefits we give them in return for their hard work.

The South Milwaukee City Council approved such a manual at its meeting Tuesday night.

Among the key passages for these “at will” civil service employees, or those not represented by police and fire contracts and not classified as professional “non-represented” workers:

• Pay: The previously approved salary schedule (and the “step increases” given to civil service employees as they gain experience) remains in place.
• Overtime: Civil service employees working more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week — as well as those working weekends who typically don’t — will be paid at time and a half. Any hours worked over 12 in a single day will be paid at double time.
• Health insurance: The city will pay 88% of the cost of the lowest cost health care plan offered to full-time civil service employees — the amount called for in Act 10. The amount the city pays for health insurance for part-timers depends on hours worked.
• Retiree health insurance: For civil service employees hired before January 1, there are two options. Under option one, for those age 55 to 59, the city pays 75% of the premium amount it pays for active employees; the city funds the same amount it does for active employees for those ages 60 to 64. Under option two, the city simply pays 90% of the premium it pays for active employees. For those hired after January 1, the benefit is reduced. The city provides no retiree coverage until age 60, and from age 60 to 64 the city pays 50% of what it pays toward active employee health insurance. And all new hires must work for the city at least 15 years before earning the benefit.
• Vacation: The benefit here depends on when you started to work for the city. If you started before January 3, 1983, civil service employees get two weeks after one year of service, three after seven years, four after 15 years, five after 25 years and six after 30 years. For those hired after that, and until January 1, 2012, you get a fourth week after 14 years of service and fifth week after 20 years. For those hired this year and after, you get two weeks after a year, three weeks after seven years and four weeks after 15 years (no fifth or sixth week is available).
• Sick time: Similar to vacation and retiree health care, this benefit will also depend on the employee start date. For those hired before January 1, 2012, civil service employees receive up to 12 paid sick days per year (one earned per month). For those hired after, employees receive up to six paid sick days (one half-day earned per month).
• Pension: Eligible civil service employees continue to be covered under the Wisconsin Retirement System, and the city will pay only the employer’s share of the required contributions for employees that qualify for the benefit (such as was called for in Act 10).

One important topic left undetermined in the manual is the issue of residency. While the manual we passed lays out a standard — with current civil service employees being able to live throughout Milwaukee County and new hires being forced to live in South Milwaukee — the council has decided to reopen debate on the larger issue at a future Human Resources Committee meeting. I’ll keep you posted.

In the end, we must get this stuff right. It’s our responsibility, and duty, as a city to deliver current and prospective civil service employees as strong a pay and benefits package as possible … a package that allows us to compete with both public and private employers for the best of the best people. At the same time, we must also do what’s responsible for taxpayers and operate within our budget.

This document strikes that balance well.