TODAY'S TMJ4

Capitol Chaos: Tosa Taxpayers Fight New Union Contracts

By Lauren Leamanczyk

WAUWATOSA - Wauwatosa residents packed a Common Council meeting Tuesday night demanding that aldermen hold off on approving new union contracts.

The proposed contracts had been bargained over several months and included pension and health care changes similar to those recently passed in the Budget-Repair Bill.

Union leaders said they were a fair deal. Though, they admitted they wanted to pass the two year agreements before the Budget-Repair Bill goes into effect.

"We feel we can help the taxpayers of the City of Wauwatosa in terms of keeping the city financially sound during these tough economic times," said Chris Domoracki of AFSCME.

But one by one, dozens of taxpayers told aldermen not to pass the agreements and to wait for more flexibility offered by the new collective bargaining restrictions.

Capitol Chaos: Related Content

Budget Legislation:
• Walker's Proposed 2011-13 Budget
• Budget Repair/Collective Bargaining Law
• Milwaukee City Worker Residency Bill

"We need to send these contracts back!," said one Wauwatosa resident. "Your customers are the taxpayers," said another.

Greg Fritsch believes the unions are trying to rush through contracts to get a better deal. He told the council not to do it. "There is no reason whatsoever to rush into signing these contracts for the taxpayers," he said. "There's plenty of reason on the union side."

Wauwatosa aldermen agreed. Some said they had planned to vote yes on the contracts, but the crowd changed their mind.

The city still needs to settle firefighter and police contracts. Those bargaining rules are not changed by the new collective bargaining law.