CITY LABORER

Information and application help sessions will be held throughout March and April in‑person. For more information please check out: milwaukee.gov/citylaborer.

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.

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 guardrails.
• 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 helper for water utility investigators, masons, electricians, carpenters, and painters.
• 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 snowblowers 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, and 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.

We welcome qualified individuals with disabilities who are interested in employment and will make reasonable accommodations during the hiring process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.

City Laborers must be willing and able to do the following:

• Work outdoors in variable and extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat, cold, rain, wind, and snow).
• Tolerate various environmental conditions indoors and out (e.g., noise, vibration, dirt, pollen, and sewer gases).
• Work in confined space settings (training provided).
• Hear directions given in a noisy, distracting environment.
• See clearly both near and far to read signage and perform job duties safely and accurately.
• Properly lift and move objects weighing up to 50 lbs. alone or up to 100 lbs. with assistance.
• Perform strenuous physical work continuously for long periods of time.
• 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.
• Have manual dexterity and strength to use various hand tools and power tools properly and safely.
• Be available to work beyond assigned shifts to respond to various emergencies.
• Participate in snow and ice control operations at any time during the day or night, 24/7.

The preplacement medical requirements for this title include the following:

• Drug Test
• Physical with lift test
• Audiogram
• Vision test

1. Eighteen+ years of age at time of application.
2. Valid driver's license at time of application and throughout the selection process. Valid Wisconsin driver's license required at the time of appointment 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.

By law, persons in these positions are required to pass pre-employment drug tests and are subject to random drug and alcohol testing during employment. Candidates must sign a release authorizing the city to receive the results of any drug and alcohol tests conducted by previous employers during the past two years if those tests were required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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 snowblowers.
• 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 Judgment

• 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.
• Situational awareness.

Interpersonal and Customer Focus

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

The current pay rates (Pay Range 8AN) are as follows (rates shown below are hourly and biweekly):

• Non-Resident Starting Wage: $21.57 hourly ($1,725 bi-weekly)
• Incentive Starting Wage for City of Milwaukee Residents: $22.22 hourly ($1,777 bi-weekly)
• Employees who attain and maintain a CDL will be paid an additional 3% 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
• 12 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: an evaluation of education, experience and/or responses to supplemental questions; a written or performance test, a structured interview or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to structured interviews and performance examinations. Structured interviews may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.

INITIAL FILING DATE - The selection process 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 selection process components. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of Milwaukee will not provide alternative selection process dates or times. 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.