Human Resources Presentation to Council

I invite you to listen to the presentation to learn about the agency (start at 1:55) and read its 2023 Annual Report, a comprehensive document that will provide you with a detailed understanding of HR's operations and challenges.

For me, the highlights of the presentation centered on the relationship between employee turnover, fair and equitable wages, and workforce diversity. Employee turnover is associated with multiple factors. People leave jobs for various reasons, such as retirement, better salaries, relocation to other places, the culture the employer nurtures, personal growth, etc. These factors often intertwine with fair wages and a sense of purpose and belonging.

Turnover

The city's employee turnover rate is 9%, which impacts every agency. Turnover allows for career growth, but it is also a burden on an already understaffed workforce. As mentioned in my Let's Talk Budget—2025 Outlook, the number of hires has not kept up with population growth since 2014.  

Wages

The wage disparity gap, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and state-mandated budget limits, poses a significant challenge to wage increases. It's crucial to understand that there's never a 'good time' for a wage increase under the current state restrictions. In response, the Council proposed a resolution in 2022 to address this issue and close the parity gap. 

Act 10 eliminated collective bargaining for general employees but continued allowing such collective bargaining rights for public safety employees (Police, Fire & Metro). This action created a wage parity gap that continued to grow yearly. In the example below, during 2018 contract negotiations under the prior administration, those employees with collective bargaining rights realized increased wages by 11.5% over three years (the contract was from 1/1/18 to 12/31/21), which expanded into the current administration. In contrast, employees not protected under collective bargaining rules received a 6.5% during the same period. 

During this year's budget discussions, there has been significant focus on the wage increases over the past three years and their impact on the deficit. However, these conversations often lack the necessary context and understanding of the history and facts that collectively brought us to this point. It's crucial to consider these factors for informed decision-making. 

Understanding the history of wage parity and highlighting the impact on Municipal employees directly affected by years of wage inequality is crucial. Madison has a professional workforce committed to public service centered on equity and inclusive values. Wage parity should have been and should continue to be a priority.

Regardless of your position on the topic, I hope this history clarifies decisions made in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and how those actions influenced my decision to prioritize equitable wages. 

Other Resources:

Madison is Seeking a Funding Referendum

Let's Talk Budget - 2025 Outlook 

City and County Jobs 

City News and Events This Week