Mayor Cavalier Johnson
Press Release

Council approves legislation exploring use of ARPA funding to provide retroactive hazardous duty pay to certain city employees

 

By - Jul 29th, 2021 01:28 pm

On Tuesday (July 27th) the full Common Council adopted legislation directing the Department of Employee Relations to study the feasibility of retroactively providing hazard pay using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to city employees in essential critical infrastructure sectors who did not receive C.A.R.E.S. Act-funded hazard pay during a portion of the COVID-19 pandemic.

File #210537 – co-sponsored by Alderman Cavalier Johnson and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs – directs the Department of Employee Relations (DER) to study whether ARPA funds may be used to provide premium pay to eligible workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency. According to the file, workers eligible for premium pay are described as workers who have been and continue to be relied upon to maintain operations of essential critical infrastructure sectors, including those who are critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of their communities.

The resolution requires the DER to submit its findings to the Common Council within 45 days.

Alderman Johnson and Alderwoman Coggs agree that the legislation is needed to examine the important question of whether ARPA funds can be used to help compensate certain city employees. “Many essential city workers faced increased risk in the performance of their duties and were excluded from the additional compensation which was available for public safety and health workers, and it remains imperative that they are compensated for their work,” they said. “We thank our colleagues for their support on this important item.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Comments

  1. sbaldwin001 says:

    I would like a little more information about exactly who is being considered for this hazard pay.

    Also, Mayor Barrett in his “State of the City” video several months ago stated the need for renegotiation of pension promises with city employee unions. He also stated that if these promises were not renegotiated layoffs would be necessary beginning in 2023. The size of the layoffs was staggering – approximately 1 in 8 city employees. I have not heard anything about this since then. Is anyone working on this? Is anyone reporting on it?

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