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WEBVTT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVEMASSIVE TAX INCREASES ON THEMIDDLE CLASS. COLLEE IN 2011, WISCONSINPASSED ACT 10, WHICH GREATLYRESTRICTED COLLECTIVE BARGAININGFOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES.WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN>> WISCONSIN IS LEADING THE WAYWITH A BETTER ALTERNATIVE.COLLEEN: SIX YEARS LATER,ALDERMAN MICHAEL MURPHY SAYS ACT10 HAS MILWAUKEE ON THE BRINK.YOU ARE SAYING THE CITY IS GOINGTO GO BROKE?>> IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE, WEARE IN A TOUGH SITUATION.COLLEEN: ACT 10 SOUGHT TO KEEPDOWN MUNICIPAL COSTS BY LIMITINGWORKERS' RAISES TO THE INFLATIONRATE, BUT IT EXEMPTED POLICE ANDFIREFIGHTERS, AND THAT, SAYSMURPHY, CREATED A CLASS SYSTEMAMID MILWAUKEE'S PUBLICEMPLOYEES.>> ONE SIDE IS WINNING, ONE SIDEOF LOSING.COLLEEN: FOR EXAMPLE, A CITYOFFICE WORKER WHO STARTED IN2012 AT $41,500 IS NOW MAKINGNEARLY $46,000, A 10.7% RAISEOVER FIVE YEARS.>> IF YOU LOOK AT POLICE ANDFIRE AND THE COMPENSATION, WEHAVE SEEN IT GOING UP NEARLY100%.PCOLLEE POLICE RECRUIT HIRED IN2012 STARTED AROUND $37,000 IN2017-- $37,000.IN 2017, HE'LL EARN $76,000.THAT'S A HIKE OF 104%.A FIRE RECRUIT STARTED AT$30,000.IN 2017, HE'LL BE UP TO ALMOST$68,000.THAT JUMP, 125WAS THAT THE INTENTION TO MAKETWO CLASSES OF WORKERS?>> IT WAS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.COLLEEN: WE TOOK THE CONCERNS TOA SUPPORTER.DO YOU THINK IT IS TIME TOCONSIDER THE EXEMPTION GIVEN THEOUTCOME?WHY SHOULD WE BE BLAMED FORTHESE INCREASES?THESE SALARIES ARE NEGOTIATEDWITH THE MAYOR.COLLEEN: ALDERMAN MURPHY SAYSTHE CITY CAN'T TURN TO TAXPAYERSTO COVER SKYROCKETING COSTS,BECAUSE THE STATE FROZE PROPERTYTAXES.IS THIS GOING TO BE DETROIT?>> WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID THAT.GIVE ME BE TOOLS TO CONTROL MYDESTINY.COLLEEN: 12 NEWS SURVEYED OTHERAR DEPARTMENTS.THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN PAY AREMINIMAL.WHY CAN'T MILWAUKEE SIX ITS GAP?THE LEGISLATURE HAD PASSED A LAWTHAT GAVE MILWAUKEE'S POLICEUNION A UNIQUE BENEFIT.IT CAN NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS MINDBY LINE WHILE EVERY OTHER UNIIN THE STATE MUST NEGOTIATECOMPLETE BENEFITS PACKAGES.

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Six years after Wisconsin passed Act 10, which greatly restricted collective bargaining for municipal employees, a city alderman said Act 10 has Milwaukee on the brink.Act 10 sought to keep down municipal costs by limiting workers' raises to the inflation rate, but it exempted police and firefighters, and that, Murphy said, created a class system amid Milwaukee's public employees."One side is winning and one side is losing," Murphy said.For example, a city office worker who started in 2012 at $41,500 is now making nearly $46,000 -- a 10.7 percent raise over five years. "If you look at police and fire and you look at their compensation, you see it going up nearly 100 percent," Murphy said.A police recruit hired in 2012 started around $37,000. In 2017, he'll earn $76,000. That's a hike of 104 percent. A fire recruit started at $30,000. In 2017, he'll be up to almost $68,000. That jump is 125 percent."They have very tough and difficult jobs, and I don't take that away from them, but the math is the math," Murphy said."So you're saying the city's going to go broke?" WISN 12 News investigative reporter Colleen Henry asked. "I'm saying in five, six years, if things don't change we're in a very tough situation," Murphy responded.WISN 12 News took Murphy's concerns to state Sen. Alberta Darling, an Act 10 supporter who represents a section of Milwaukee."What do you make of this? Was that the intention to create two classes of workers?" Henry asked."No, the intent was to protect the public," Darling said."Do you think it's time to reconsider the exemption for police and fire given this outcome?" Henry asked."Why should we be blamed for these increases? These salaries are negotiated with the mayor," Darling said. "Act 10 gets blamed for a lot of things, but I'm telling you Act 10 is not responsible for the salaries of police and fire."Murphy said the city can't turn to taxpayers to cover skyrocketing costs because the state froze property taxes."Is this going to be Detroit?" Henry asked Murphy."I'm hoping to avoid that. That's why I'm trying to convey to the Legislature and the governor, give me the tools to control my destiny," Murphy said.WISN 12 News surveyed other area departments. In Mequon, Waukesha and Racine, the disparities in pay between general employees and police and fire are minimal.So why can't Milwaukee fix its gap? Long before Act 10, the legislature passed a law that gave Milwaukee's police union a unique benefit. It can negotiate its contracts line-by-line, while every other union in the state must negotiate complete benefits packages. The city said that has crippled its efforts to close the pay gap.WISN 12 News asked MPS about pay increases for teachers since Act 10. They've seen an 18 percent raise since Act 10.