CITY LABORER

The City of Milwaukee is proud to employ a diverse workforce that is committed to providing exemplary service to the City’s residents. If you have a passion for being a part of an inclusive team of public servants, please consider the following opportunity. 

Information and application help sessions will be held throughout September both virtually and in-person, please sign up at milwaukee.gov/citylaborer 

If you are excited about the chance to perform a variety of physically challenging assignments outdoors in a team environment, this may be the opportunity for you!  

Under supervision, City Laborers perform light to heavy manual work. City Laborers are employed by the Department of Public Works (DPW) in the following areas: Streets, Sewers, Electrical Services, Sanitation, Water, and Forestry; assignment to an area is based on the needs of the City.

Laboring and Maintenance Duties

• Perform manual labor to assist in the construction and maintenance of the City’s streets and bridges, sewers, and electrical infrastructure by performing functions such as digging trenches and dislodging hard material at work sites. 
• Shovel material into and out of trenches, holes, wheelbarrows, and trucks; dig around sewer mains and catch basins using shovels and picks.
• Remove sod to expose underground conduit and cable boxes; push and pull cable through underground conduit.
• Use power tampers, plate compactors, and vibratory rollers to level/compact soil or other material such as asphalt and gravel; use hand tampers to level sod.
• Use manhole hooks to lift and carry manhole covers weighing from 50 to 150 pounds; assist in placing precast manholes and catch basins.
• Climb into and out of sewer holes to perform sewer cleaning and repair.
• Mix mortar or cement, carry buckets weighing up to 50 pounds, pull and drag hoses, and clean coagulation basins, filter beds, and tanks.
• Perform street repair and maintenance duties, including blowing debris out of cracks and potholes using air compressors, distributing patching material into cracks and potholes, flattening asphalt using power rollers, operating concrete cutting saws, pumps, and concrete mixers, and manipulating concrete chutes.
• Perform general bridge maintenance, including cleaning drains on bridges and viaducts and installing metal guard rails.
• Clean construction sites of materials, equipment, and debris.
• Place traffic control devices, such as cones, barricades, trench plates, and excavation protection.
• Load and unload trucks; sort, move, and stack materials.
• Perform custodial work at various work sites, including sweeping and cleaning.
• Drive City vehicles between work sites; operate forklift trucks and skid loaders.
• Assist Sanitation workers by collecting solid waste, recyclables, furniture, brush, and appliances, and loading them onto a garbage truck; operate the hydraulic controls of the garbage truck.
• Perform light maintenance at various work sites such as water treatment plants; make minor repairs to equipment, infrastructure and facilities.
• Serve as a water utility investigator helper, mason helper, an electrician helper, a carpenter helper, or a painter helper.
• Perform general clean-up, maintenance and development of boulevards and green areas by operating various mowers, string trimmers, and leaf blowers, and by operating various hand tools; plant trees, grass, shrubs, and flowers. Lay sod and mulch.
• Participate in the City’s snow and ice control operations by driving trucks and operating snow blowers to remove snow and ice from streets, removing snow using shovels, and spreading sand or salt on icy streets and sidewalks.  

Safety and Work Rules

• Perform all work safely, in accordance with departmental policies, municipal and state laws, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
• Abide by City and departmental work rules and safety instructions and attend departmental meetings and training programs, such as safety and policy briefings.
• Complete required paperwork such as work logs and timecards. Use basic mathematics to calculate amounts of materials needed for various tasks and mix proper proportions of materials.  

Customer Service

• Interact with residents and coworkers in a polite and courteous manner.  

• Please be advised that new employees are required to have received either both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine prior to their employment start date or have an approved religious or medical accommodation prior to their employment start date.  You can find further information relative to the City’s Covid-19 Vaccination Policy here.
• Must be able to work outdoors in variable and extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat, cold, rain, wind, and snow).
• Must be able to tolerate various environmental conditions indoors and out (e.g., noise, vibration, dirt, pollen, and sewer gases).
• Must be able to work in confined space settings (training provided).
• Must be able to hear directions given in a noisy, distracting environment.
• Must be able to see clearly both near and far to read signage and perform job duties safely and accurately.
• Must be able to properly lift and move objects weighing up to 50 lbs. alone or up to 100 lbs. with assistance.
• Must be able to perform strenuous physical work continuously for long periods of time.
• Must be able to perform physical activities in work environments that require walking and standing, climbing stairs, ladders and scaffolding, crawling, crouching, stooping, kneeling, reaching, balancing, pushing and pulling.
• Must have manual dexterity and strength to use various hand tools and power tools properly and safely.
• Must be available to work beyond assigned shifts to respond to various emergencies.
• Snow and ice operations and other emergencies may require City Laborers to work at any time during the day or night, 24/7.

1. Eighteen years of age at time of application.
2. Valid driver license at time of application, throughout the selection process and throughout employment.
3. Valid Commercial Driver License (CDL) (Class A or B) without the Air Brakes restriction within six months of appointment and throughout employment.
4. A good driving record at time of application, throughout the selection process, and throughout employment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Passing probation in the City Laborer position is contingent upon acquiring and maintaining a valid Commercial Driver License (CDL) (Class A or B) without the Air Brakes restriction; maintaining a good driving record and maintaining satisfactory work performance.

NOTES: 

A CDL may be obtained by:

• Passing the General Knowledge and Air Brakes portions of the Commercial Driver’s License test given by the State of Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Passing a road test administered by an approved third-party administrator.
• Learn more about how to obtain a Commercial Driver License (CDL) without the airbrakes restriction by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles website: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/com-drv-vehs/cdl-how-aply/cdlapply.aspx or by calling 608.264.7447. 
• Resources for obtaining a CDL license milwaukee.gov/dpwcdl

Technical and Physical Skill

• Ability to read and understand documents, such as work rules, policies, and operating manuals.
• Ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to accurately complete paperwork, such as work logs and timecards.
• Ability to read and interpret street maps.
• Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations accurately.
• Ability to learn about the materials, methods, and tools used in the construction and repair of structures, including streets, bridges, and sewers.
• Ability to operate motorized and pneumatic equipment properly and safely, such as pumps, concrete mixers, power tampers, plate compactors, vibratory rollers, air compressors, small and large air hammers, concrete cutting saws, and leaf blowers.
• Ability to use hand tools properly and safely, such as shovels, sledgehammers, picks, hooks, wrecking bars, and hand tampers.  
• Skill in raking, luting, and shoveling gravel, asphalt, dirt, and other construction materials.
• Skill in safely maneuvering a wheelbarrow filled with dirt, concrete, or asphalt.
• Ability to drive a car and to learn to drive trucks and heavy equipment, such as forklift trucks, skid loaders, and snowplows.
• Ability to safely shovel snow and operate snow blowers.
• Ability to perform general maintenance of green areas and boulevards and safely operate power, push and riding mowers.
• Ability to make minor repairs of equipment and infrastructure under supervision.
• Ability to perform basic maintenance tasks like replacing light fixtures.
• Ability to use brooms, mops, commercial vacuum cleaners, and floor polishers.  

Safety and Judgement

• Ability to exercise care and good judgment regarding safety at all times, abiding by safety-related policies, laws, and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
• Ability to monitor the work site vicinity, including pedestrian and vehicle traffic, to ensure the safety of the work crew and the public.  

Interpersonal and Customer Focus

• Ability to work effectively as a team member and interact with the public courteously.
• Ability to work cooperatively, effectively, and fairly with coworkers and residents whose background may differ from one’s own.

The current pay rates (PG 8DN) are as follows (rates shown below are hourly and biweekly):

Non-Resident Starting Wage: 18.07 hourly ($1,445.36 bi-weekly)

Incentive Starting Wage for City of Milwaukee Residents: 18.61 hourly ($1,488.72 bi-weekly)

BENEFITS  

The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit program that includes the following:

• Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Comprehensive Wellness Program
• Onsite Clinic Services
• Onsite Employee Assistance Program
• Alternative Work Schedules
• Long Term Disability Insurance 
• Group Life Insurance
• Tuition Benefits
• Paid Vacation
• 11 Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave and other paid leave 
• Flexible Spending Arrangement
• Commuter Value Pass

For full details of the benefits offered by the City of Milwaukee, please visit https://city.milwaukee.gov/der/benefits 

THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job related and will consist of one or more of the following: education and experience evaluation; written, oral, or performance tests, or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to oral and performance examinations. Oral examinations may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.

INITIAL FILING DATE - The examination will be held as soon as practical after the deadline listed above. Receipt of applications may be discontinued at any time after this date without prior notice. However, recruitment may continue until the needs of the City have been met. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time, and place of the examination. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of Milwaukee will not provide alternative test administration. The applicant is responsible for attending all phases of the job selection process at the time and place designated by the City of Milwaukee. 

• APPLICATIONS and further information may be accessed by visiting, https://www.jobapscloud.com/MIL/
• Applications and license documentation should be submitted no later than the deadline listed above.
• If you would like assistance completing an application, please contact the Department of Employee Relations at (414) 286-3751 or staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov.
• The Department of Employee Relations is in City Hall, 200 E Wells St, Room 706, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

EEO = 802

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.