Milwaukee looking to hire more than 50 drivers to help plow roads this winter

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee is looking for more than 50 drivers to help plow the roads this winter.

The driver shortage could affect people that live or work in the city.

"Without the people to operate the vehicles, it may not get done quickly, correctly and efficiently, and that is a real concern," Ald. Robert Bauman said.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is facing a staffing shortage, with 53 positions to fill. The department is budgeted for a total of 320 driving positions.

"No matter what our staffing levels are, we know that snow and ice are something we respond to first," DPW Director of Operations Danielle Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the department plans to reassign drivers to clear the roads. Depending on the size of a snow event, this could lead to delays in garbage and recycling pick-up.

"If we need to pull in more because there is a larger storm, we will do that," Rodriguez said.

To be more competitive, the city bumped up the starting salary to $22.79 per hour for residents and $22.13 for non-residents, plus benefits and overtime.

"The opportunity is there, and we're willing to bring people in and put them to work very quickly, but they've got to want to work, and that appears to be a problem," Bauman said.

The city plans to open recruitment in the coming days. The openings will be listed on the City of Milwaukee Department of Employee Relations job board.