The DOC News Ticker contains concise, up-to-date news and information related to Teamsters at DOC. Entries are made regularly. If you have information you would like to share on the DOC News Ticker, send an email to the Local 117 Communications Department.
Thursday, September 2, 2010 In an editorial in the Clark County Columbian, the editors of that newspaper argue that state employees, including correctional workers, should pay a 117% increase on their health care premium share.
Increasing the cost of your premium share from 12 to 26 percent would constitute a $2300 pay cut for you and your family. The Columbian supports these drastic cuts in your wages even though they know that you have not seen a pay increase in four years.
This is an irresponsible position and an insult to correctional workers who confront the dangers associated with working inside a prison environment on a daily basis. It is a slap in the face to the important public safety function that correctional workers provide to our communities.
Newspapers like the Columbian should identify ways to make health care affordable for working families and demand that the real culprits of the Great Recession “share the pain.”
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 The Governor wants State employees, including employees at the Department of Corrections, to shoulder an excessive burden of the cost of health care.
The Governor has recently proposed that State employees pay a more than 100% increase on the cost of their health care premiums. Correctional employees and their supporters strongly oppose the Governor's proposals and are prepared to fight back.
Support State workers in their effort to maintain reasonable health care costs for working families. Tell the Governor to negotiate fair and equitable health care for State employees!
You can also call the legislative hotline in Olympia at 1-800-562-6000 and tell the Governor to stop cutting health care for State employees!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Local 117 Staff Attorney and Public Sector Coordinator, Jim Smith, has been appointed as the new Director of Corrections and Law Enforcement for Teamsters at DOC and at other represented law enforcement agencies across the region.
Jim has an extensive background in law enforcement, having served at the start of his career as a Sheriff Explorer Cadet, Police Dispatcher, Juvenile Probation Tracker, Drug Task Force Office Assistant, and as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff.
In 1997, Jim began sworn service as Deputy Sheriff, Detective, and Field Training Officer for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. Before attending law school, Jim also served for three years on his Union’s negotiations team and executive board, holding positions of Second Vice-President and Secretary.
Many Local 117 members at DOC met Jim as he toured the state attending the member appreciation picnics over the past several weeks. Jim will also be facilitating a series of Know Your Rights Trainings at institutions across the State. The first training is scheduled on Septemeber 10 for members at MCC. As soon as a training is scheduled at your facility, we will let you know.
Sunday, August 29, 2010 Negotiations between your Local Union's Bargaining Committee and the State will resume on Monday, August 30 and continue on Tueday, August 31. We expect to receive the State's initial economic proposal in this week's bargaining sessions. After bargaining concludes on Tuesday, we publish an update on the State's proposal.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 A coalition of Unions has offered a sensible solution to the Governor's proposal to more than double health care premiums for State employees. The solution would retain the 88/12 split that the State and Union members currently share on the cost of their premiums. State workers have already sacrificed enough via furloughs and cutbacks.
Your Local Union Bargaining Committee is scheduled to meet with State negotiators again on August 30. We anticipate that the State will present its initial economic offer at that time.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 Over the last several weeks, your Local Union has been holding member appreciation barbecues across the state. Last week, barbecues were held for members at WSP, CRCC, and AHCC. On Monday, August 23, there was a barbecue for members at SCCC.
The purpose of the barbecue events is to provide members with an opportunity to meet their Union representatives, ask questions about bargaining, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon with their co-workers.
Local 117's principal officer, Tracey Thompson, has attended several barbecues as had Local 117 General Counsel, Spencer Thal, and Staff Attorney, Jim Smith. Communications Coordinator, Paul Zilly, was on hand at the eastern Washington barbecues to talk about opportunities for improving Union communication, while office staff, Vonna Johnson, answered question about members' dues.
Barbecues have also been held for members at MICC, WCCW, and MCCCW. In September, there will be Union barbecues for Local 117 members at OCC and CBCC. For more information about upcoming barbecues, talk to your Business Representative.
Monday, August 16, 2010 Your Local Union's Staff Attorney, Jim Smith, will be facilitating a 90-minute Know Your Rights seminar for Teamsters at DOC. The purpose of the seminar is to provide Correctional Employees with information about their legal and contractual rights so that they can protect themselves when they are subjected to an internal investigation. All Teamsters at DOC are welcome to attend.
The first seminar will take place on Friday, September 10, at the Guesthouse Inn (19103 SR 2, Monroe, WA 98272) for members at the Monroe Correctional Center. To cover all shifts, there will be four 90-minute sessions. Sessions will be held at 6 A.M., 9 A.M., 11 A.M., or 2 A.M. Choose the session that best suits your schedule.
The Know Your Rights Seminar will also be held at other institutions across the State this Fall. As soon as we have scheduled dates, we will announce them.
If you have questions about the training, contact Jim Smith at 206-441-4860 ext. 1232 or talk to your Business Representative.
Thursday, August 5, 2010 IMPORTANT NOTICE: To Employees who are subject to furlough / temporary lay-off, who are currently or were on an alternate work schedule.
For those employees who are subject to the furlough (also being called “temporary layoffs”), your Union has bargained an agreement to mitigate the negative effects of the furloughs. This agreement reserves the Union’s rights to continue to pursue legal, constitutional and contractual challenges to the furlough, but in the meantime reduces the impacts. As this litigation is pending, the Union continues to propose resolutions that would further offset the impacts of the furloughs on the lowest paid employees and provide some relief in future years for those who are being compelled to endure the furlough.
As part of the agreement:
The State has committed that once the $3.2 million savings has been achieved, there will be no further furlough days imposed. The first furlough day saved approximately $488,000, so it is anticipated that the furlough will last for approximately seven days if the savings continues at this pace.
Most critically: employees who were on 4-10 or 9-80 schedules prior to the furlough can request to return to those schedules, but they must make this request (using the standard alternate workweek form) within the next week, no later than August 12, 2010 in order to ensure that the paperwork can be processed before the furlough date in September.
In addition, anyone on an alternative work schedule may mitigate the impact of the furlough on their schedule. Again, though, they must actively request to make that schedule change, as follows:
For 4-10 employees, the employee may elect to switch to a 5-8 workweek during all of the furlough weeks so as not to lose 10 hours of pay (as opposed to eight);
For 9-80 employees, the employee may elect to switch to a 9-9-9-9-4 schedule for the entire furlough period, again to potentially reduce the effect of furlough days that fall on Fridays or Mondays.
These options must be examined for each employee on a case-by-case basis to determine which is most beneficial both from a financial perspective and from a time-off perspective.
Every effort should be made to make these decisions before August 12. For employees who are unavailable or unable to make the decision during that time frame, late requests for remaining furlough dates will be handled on a case-by case basis.
Finally, the State and the Union are at impasse regarding the Union’s proposals (1) to further mitigate the effect of furloughs on the lowest paid employees, by raising the eligible salary level for the use of accrued leave; and (2) to provide furlough replacement time (additional paid time off) in subsequent years in recognition for the fact that a small group of employees is being asked to shoulder the burden for the entire department. The Union will continue to press these proposals as the litigation moves forward in State court, through the grievance procedure, and at the Public Employment Relations Commission.
Thursday, July 29, 2010 FURLOUGH UPDATE: Your Union continues to fight the furlough through litigation and the grievance and arbitration process. As a part of this fight, your legal team is reviewing the manner in which employees were selected as eligible for the furlough to determine if there was a violation of the statue and their constitutional rights.
In the meantime, a bargaining team of affected employees was formed to negotiate the impacts of the furlough and thereby try to mitigate the effect of furlough on Teamsters at DOC. The group, consisting of the following rank-and-file members, met with the State first on Friday, July 23, and again on Tuesday, July 27:
Debbie Lewandowsky, MICC
Jerrilynn Romine, WSP
Michael Ferrucci, MCC
Andrea Wilkerson, WSP
Charmaine Hawke, WCCW
Toni Johnson, SCCC
Jessica Anderson, CCCC
Robin Gelinas Zachary, MCC
Patricia Angel, SWRBO
Local 117 General Counsel Spencer Thal, Business Representative Larry Stott, Business Representative Michelle Woodrow, and Business Representative Eydie Dean also took part in the furlough negotiations.
The focus of these discussions was the effort to retain alternate work schedules of affected employees including 4/10s and 9/80s and fairly equalize the impact of furlough on those employees. In addition, these negotiations attempt to ensure the preservation of all rights and benefits for furloughed employees and limit the negative compensation impact for those employees.
Significant progress was made in this regard, and we are hopeful that prior to the September furlough date, a process will be in place to address these issues.
Talks with the Department on this issue will resume on August 4. It is important to remember that these discussions are occurring concurrently with our pursuit of all available legal action to challenge DOC’s right to implement the furlough. If you have questions, please talk to your Business Representative.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 Your Local Union bargaining team has negotiated improvements to the layoff article of your collective bargaining agreement which would allow employees to have layoff options at their own institutions before going out to the county. DOC agreed to implement the language immediately so as to allow all members currently facing layoff at MICC to have the improved options.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Your Local Union bargaining team, including 16 rank-and-file members from across the State, are meeting today and tomorrow with State negotiators. Negotiations will continue on July 28 and July 29. The bargaining team will be presenting proposals based on your feedback collected at demands' meetings and tabulated in surveys over the last year and a half. If you have questions, please talk to your Business Representative.
Monday, July 12, 2010 Your Local Union has published the new issue of the Guardian today. The Guardian is the Union newsletter for members at DOC. In this issue, you will find articles about an arbitration win at CBCC, the start of contract negotiations, and Local 117's efforts to fight the State on the furlough issue.
Friday, July 9, 2010 Your Local Union has been taking all available legal action to challenge DOC on furloughs.
Teamsters Local 117 filed a grievance, alleging that DOC violated numerous sections of your collective bargaining agreement by implementing furloughs. DOC has agreed to process the grievance on an expedited basis.
Your Union also filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge (ULP) with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) on the issue. The ULP asserts that DOC implemented unilateral changes, engaged in direct dealing with represented employees and failed to engage in good faith bargaining on matters affecting wages, hours, and working conditions. As a remedy, your Union is requesting that, among other things, PERC issue a make-whole award that includes back pay and benefits for any bargaining unit members subject to furlough under the new law. PERC has issued a Preliminary Ruling, requiring the State to answer the charges within 21 days.
Additionally, your Local Union sought a court injunction to stop the State from moving ahead on its plans to furlough some DOC workers.
After hearing argument in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday, July 9, Judge McPhee denied the injunction in a narrow ruling. Judge McPhee did not deny the fact that the issue needs to be negotiated, nor did he say that the State has the right to implement the furloughs. He simply denied the Union’s motion for an injunction on the ground that he did not find a clear legal or equitable right. This is the second time in a month that the courts have denied motions for injunctive relief for State workers. Just last week, the Washington Federation of State Employees lost a similar argument before Judge Hicks.
Even though we did not succeed in getting the injunction, Teamsters 117 will continue to fight against the furloughs. The ULPs will be heard by PERC, and we will push for expedited arbitration on our grievance. We firmly believe that that State does not have the right to unilaterally cut Teamster-represented employees’ hours in this manner.
To read the ULP and request for injunctive relief, see the previous two entries on this page.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 Your Local 117 legal team has filed a support memorandum in Thurston County Superior Court urging the Court to provide temporary injunctive relief to restrain the State from implementing furlough until the Union and the State can resolve their contract dispute and engage in meaningful collective bargaining.
In its summary argument, that legal brief states that, "the State of Washington is violating its contractual commitments to the Union and the workers it represents, disregarding its contractual and statutory obligations to bargain the impacts of its decision prior to (furlough) implementation, and unilaterally impairing its contract with the Union in violation of the United States and Washington Constitutions."
A hearing in Thurston County Superior Court to resolve the matter is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, July 9, at 9a.m. We will provide an update as soon as additional information is available.
Thursday, July 1, 2010 Your Local Union’s legal team has filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) alleging that DOC has committed 5 violations of your collective bargaining agreement with respect to the furlough issue.
Your Union’s ULP asserts that DOC implemented unilateral changes and failed to engage in good faith bargaining on matters affecting wages, hours, and working conditions. As a remedy, your Union is requesting that, among a number of other things, PERC issue a make-whole award that includes back pay and benefits for any bargaining unit members subject to furlough under ESSB 6503.
In addition to the ULP, your Union has filed a request for injunctive relief in Thurston County Superior Court that would require DOC to arbitrate grievances filed on the furlough issue on an expedited basis and enjoin DOC from implementing any furlough until it has exhausted your collective bargaining agreement’s grievance and arbitration process.
IN OTHER NEWS: Your Local 117 Union Bargaining Committee, including 16 rank-and-file members from across the State, met with State negotiators on Wednesday, June 30 for the first day of contract negotiations between your Union and DOC for the 2011-2013 collective bargaining agreement.
The Bargaining Committee presented the State with a complete language proposal based on your feedback that had been collected at demands' meetings and tabulated through contract surveys and communications over the last year and a half. Before Wednesday's meeting, your Union Bargaining team had met independently on June 29 to finalize and review the proposal.
Upcoming bargaining dates are currently scheduled for July 21, 22, 28, and 29 and August 11, 12, 25, and 26. For more information about bargaining, as well as an update on the furlough issue and news about your Local Union's recent CBCC arbitration victory, look for the new issue of the DOC Guardian due out by the end of next week. If you would like to receive the Guardian by email, be sure to sign up to become a registered user of your Local Union's website.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 Your Local Union has filed a grievance in protest of the State's unilateral imposition of ten furlough days on certain bargaining unit members in violation of our collective bargaining agreement. To read a copy of the grievance, click here.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 As a part of your Local Union's letter to the Department sent on June 14, Local 117 Director of Law Enforcement and Corrections, Michael Beranbaum, requested information that will allow the Union to prepare for upcoming furlough bargaining with DOC. The Department's response to the letter was incomplete and not all of the information was adequately provided. Therefore, Beranbaum has sent a second, follow-up letter requesting the same information that also includes clarification based on questions asked by DOC Labor Relations Manager, Todd Dowler. To read Beranbaum's letter, click here.
Monday, June 14, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 Director of Law Enforcement and Corrections, Michael Beranbaum, has sent a letter to the DOC demanding the Union's right under its collective bargaining agreement to bargain over the Department's decision to impose furloughs on its members. To read the letter, click here.
Friday, May 28, 2010 News on the downsizing at MICC:
MICC employees affected by the downsizing of that facility will be able to request transfers to other prisons
MICC employees who have submitted transfer requests will be given priority for vacancies prior to the initiation of an external hiring process
MICC employees are encouraged to submit requests for vacant positions
MICC Unit B will be closing by the end of June 2010
CRCC has existing vacancies and will be bringing additional positions online due to the expansion of that facility
Monday, May 24, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, published a letter to the editors of the Walla Walla Union Bulletin on Friday defending state employees from recent attacks in the press.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 The Walla Walla Union Bulletin has published an editorial criticizing the recent Washington Supreme Court ruling that a prison inmate was a party to a public records lawsuit filed against the Department of Corrections by corrections officers whose records had been requested by the inmate.
In the opinion issued on May 13, the Court’s Justice Sanders concluded that a prison inmate was a necessary party to a public records injunction lawsuit filed against the Department of Corrections by corrections officers whose records had been requested by the inmate.
Your Local Union’s legal team is in the process of analyzing the full impact of the decision on our members’ constitutional privacy rights and their rights under the Public Records Act. We will provide a more complete analysis before the end of the week.
In the last legislative session, Teamsters Local 117 was instrumental in achieving passage of a bill designed to protect Corrections’ workers by preventing offenders from obtaining birth date information and photographs of criminal justice employees from public records requests.
Teamsters Local 117 will continue to fight aggressively to find ways to protect our members who work in public safety professions and, once a full review of this decision is complete, we will work to close any loopholes resulting from the decision that affect our membership.
In other news, Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, recently appeared on Inside Olympia with Austin Jenkins where she talked about your Local Union's fight to prevent full prison closures in the last legislative session. See video coverage of the interview below:
Thursday, April 8, 2010 The new issue of the Guardian for Local 117 members at DOC was distributed today to registered members of the Local 117 website. This issue contains a legislative update, news on facility closures, and report on a lawsuit your Local Union filed to enforce an arbitration award at Airway Heights Corrections Center. To view the new Guardian, click here.
Monday, March 29, 2010 Your Local Union has stepped up its fight for your right not to have personal holiday day requests arbitrarily denied by DOC. The Teamsters Local 117 legal team, with the help of outside counsel, has filed a lawsuit on the issue in Thurston County Superior Court in an effort to enforce an arbitration award dated August 14, 2009.
The award ruled that absent good faith job-related reasons for denial, DOC must grant personal holiday leave upon request. Despite arbitrator Richard M. Humphrey's 2009 ruling, DOC has continued to refuse to grant leave requests, in many cases without good faith reasons. In doing so, DOC is continuing to violate its collective bargaining agreement with the Union.
Continue to monitor your Local Union's website for updates on the issue and if you have questions, talk to your Business Representative.
Friday, March 12, 2010 As you may be aware, your Union has been engaged in an ongoing dispute with DOC over the application of an arbitration decision out of AHCC, over their denial of both CBA Days and Personal Holidays.
Since losing the Arbitration DOC has, in the Union position, instituted an even more egregious practice and refused to honor their obligation to bargain any changes that involve a mandatory subject of bargaining.
Your Union has filed a grievance over the new denials at AHCC and is in the process of filing a lawsuit in Superior Court to enforce the Arbitrator’s decision in the earlier case out of AHCC. The lawsuit should be filed by the end of next week (Friday March 19, 2010) and will cover all Institutions statewide.
Be sure to monitor your Local Union's website for updates and any new developments in the case.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 The Washington State Legislature has passed a bill that would prevent offenders from obtaining birthdate information and photographs of criminal justice employees from public records requests. The measure was approved unanimously by the House on Saturday and is on its way to the Governor for final approval. Thanks to the hard work of Local 117 Government Affairs Coordinator, Anna Jancewicz, and the many members who asked their representatives to support this important bill.
To read an article in the Seattle PI on the bill, click here.
To access the documents distributed at the annual DOC Stewards' Seminar on March 5, 2010, including the DOC Year in Review and a legislative update, click here. Note: You must be a registered user of the website to access these documents.
Friday, March 5, 2010 In today's Seattle Times there is an article about the Pierce County delegation's opposition to the closure of McNeil Island.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 A powerful coalition of key legislators in both the State Senate and House of Representatives has sent letters to the leadership of those legislative bodies denouncing the Senate's ammendment to fully close the McNeil Island Corrections Center.
State workers shouldn't bear all of the burden Published: 3/3/10 in the Tacoma News Tribune
Our elected officials propose to balance the state budget on the backs of state employees even though state employees did not cause this budget deficit and are already underpaid, underappreciated and overworked.
Public perception of state employment, fueled by a media that generally degrades state employees, is very different from the reality. For example, did you know the state only pays its employees 75 percent of the wages received by people performing comparable work in our local municipalities and private industry?
It’s true. Every few years the state hires a consultant to survey local cities, counties and private industry on what they pay their employees for similar work. Rather than pay its employees 100 percent of the average, the state pays its employees 25 percent less than the average. This means that a correctional officer employed in your city or county likely earns 25 percent more than a correctional officer working at the Washington State Penitentiary.
Did you know that state employees did not receive cost-of-living increases in 2009 or 2010? It’s true. State employees do not get cost-of-living increases, while most other public employees do. State workers, who already are paid 25 percent less than their neighbors, have not and will not see any wage increase even though the cost of living is increasing.
Did you know that state employees pay 12 percent of their health insurance premiums in addition to significant co-pays and deductibles? It’s true. Even though state employees are paid 25 percent less than their counterparts and will not have seen a wage increase for years, they continue to pay 12 percent toward their health insurance premiums. Under the governor’s proposed budget those premiums will climb.
Did you know that on Jan. 1, state employees were required to pay an additional $117 million in increased point-of-services costs? So, state workers, who are paid 25 percent less than the average and who have not had wage increases, despite an increase in the cost of living, and who are paying 12 percent of the health insurance premiums, are now paying $117 million more than last year for their health care.
As if that isn’t enough, did you know that the Legislature wants to take an additional 4.2 percent away from state employees in the form of wage reductions or unpaid furloughs? It’s true. Both the House and the Senate want to reduce state employee compensation even further by imposing wage reductions and/or up to 11 unpaid furlough days.
Balance is not achieved by taking away from those who already have given. It is unjust, indecent and immoral to require state employees to bear more of the burden of the budget deficit. That burden needs to be borne by all of us.
Monday, March 1, 2010 With only two weeks left in this year’s legislative session in Olympia, Senator James Hargrove of the 24th Legislative District, is making a last ditched attempt to effect a full closure of the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC).
A full closure of MICC, as Senator Hargrove advocates, would mean more lost jobs at DOC. It would mean fewer beds in our State to lock up dangerous repeat offenders and it raises questions about where the State’s worst sex offenders, who are currently housed at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, will end up.
Tell Senator Hargrove and the leadership in Olympia that a full closure of McNeil Island or any other DOC facility is a mistake that puts our communities at risk. Final decisions about facility closures will be made in the next few days, so it is critical that you contact Senator Hargrove and the leadership in Olympia now!
Thank you for taking action on this important issue! Supporters of Corrections employees are also sending postcards directly to Senator Hargrove. To download a copy of the postcard, click here.
Friday, February 19, 2010 A message from Teamsters Local 117 Director of the Corrections and Law Enforcement Division, Michael Beranbaum:
Dear Teamsters at DOC:
Thank you. All of you, your co-workers, friends, family and supporters have been doing an incredible job getting our message out to legislators. That said, there are a couple of urgent issues which need to be addressed through this weekend and into next week.
It is our understanding that the leadership in the House will be working on their version of a budget bill over the weekend so we need to reinvigorate those who support our efforts to once again call and e-mail the following members of the Legislative leadership and ask them to support public safety in the budget and to keep at least one unit of LCC open and to not reduce MICC to the extent proposed as they come up with their versions of the State’s budget for the 2010 fiscal year.
You can contact Legislative leadership as follows:
In addition to this, we need members to join Anna Jancewicz, our Government Affairs Coordinator, at a hearing in the Senate Government Operations Committee, on Tuesday February 23rd at 1:30PM to add a human face to HB 1317 “Regarding the disclosure of public records containing information used to locate or identify employees of criminal justice agencies,” a bill that would help protect you and your families safety and block the disclosure of photographs and month and year of birth of employees of criminal justice agencies from all but the Media. You can read the latest version of the bill at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1317-S2.E.pdf . If you or someone you know has been impacted by this type of “Parmalee” style public disclosure request and is interested in testifying please reach out to your Business Representative to make arrangements to attend. As we fight to get this bill turned into law there are others that are attempting to get members of the committee to “kill” the bill. We need everyone to contact the following members of the Senate Government Operations Committee and ask them to support the bill, HB 1317 and to help protect those who protect the citizens of Washington State.
You can contact the members of the committee as follows:
Please pass this important request on to as many of your co-workers, family, friends and supporters as you can, but remember not to use DOC e-mail, and ask them to help secure the safety of the public and your livelihood.
Thank you again for your continued assistance with these issues,
Michael Beranbaum, Director Corrections and Law Enforcement Division
Thursday, February 18, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 has bargained an agreement with respect to the initial group of reductions at the Larch Corrections Center. The agreement contains a list of positions being eliminated at Larch and of positions that will change. It also contains the process and timeline with respect to notifications, bidding, reassignment, etc.
If you have any questions about this process, please talk to your Shop Steward or Business Representative. To view the document, click here. To view a list of Larch Corrections Center employees and their Unbroken State Service Dates, click here. Note: You must be a registered member of the website to access these documents.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Tracey A. Thompson sent the following action alert to all registered users of the website and DOC networks urging Local 117 members to contact the leadership in the Washington State Legislature and tell them to support a budget that protects public safety. Read the full text of the email below:
Dear Fellow Teamster:
The Washington State Legislature is considering proposals that would dramatically alter the criminal justice system in our State. Under a plan proposed by the Governor, the State would close one prison – the Larch Corrections Center – and radically downsize another – the McNeil Island Corrections Center. We need your assistance now as the two houses of the State Legislature prepare to release their versions of the 2010 fiscal year’s budget.
A coalition of labor unions, public safety advocates, representatives of law enforcement and public officials have joined together to oppose the closures. Members of the coalition include King County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Satterberg; Lakewood Chief of Police, Bret Farrar; President of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association, Tom Pillow; President of the Pierce County Corrections Officers and Sergeants Guild, Doug Johnson; Executive Director of Family & Friends of Violent Crime Victims, Jenny Wieland; the Pierce County Deputy Sherriff’s Independent Guild Local 1889, and Teamsters Local 117.
Now is not the time to put our communities at risk by failing to properly staff and maintain sufficient bed capacity in our State’s prison system.
Tell the leadership of the State Senate and State House of Representatives to support a budget that protects public safety. The State should keep at least one unit of the Larch Corrections Center open and it should not reduce the McNeil Island Corrections Center to the extent proposed.
Please call and/or email the Legislative leadership in Olympia now:
Thursday, February 11, 2010 Watch testimony from Teamsters Local 117 member Terry Palino of the Washington State Penitentiary in support of legislation (HB 3008) that would allow money to be deducted from an inmate's wages for the purpose of satisfying a civil judgment awarded to a correctional officer or department of corrections employee who was injured, in the course of employment, by the inmate:
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 On Tuesday, February 9, three members of Teamsters Local 117 from DOC along with Local 117 Director of Corrections and Law Enforcement Michael Beranbaum testified before the Senate Ways & Means Committee in support of legislation (SSB 6550) that would impose a sanction on offenders for assaulting a Corrections' employee.
To watch yesterday's testimony from Terry Palino of WSP, Nickola Geoghegan of WCCW, and Clyde Wallingford of WSP, see below:
FACILITY VACANCIES: To access a list of vacancies at DOC institutions across the State as of February 10, 2010, click here. (NOTE: You must be a registered user of the Local 117 website to access this information.)
Monday, February 8, 2010 Critical hearing tomorrow, February 9, 2010: Come to Olympia tomorrow, February 9, 2010 and speak out in support of legislation that would hold offenders accountable for assaults against law enforcement officers and Corrections’ employees.
If enacted into law, SB 6550 would impose a sanction on offenders who violate sentence conditions by committing an assault against a law enforcement officer, employee of a law enforcement agency, or Department of Corrections’ employee.
A hearing on the bill will be held tomorrow, February 9, 2010 at 1:30 PM before the Senate Ways & Means Committee. A group of Local 117 members and staff will be meeting in Olympia at the Pritchard Building Cafeteria tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM.
If you would like to attend, please contact your Business Representative or Local 117 Government Relations Coordinator at 206-441-4860 ext. 1258.
Friday, February 5, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 has bargained an agreement with respect to the initial group of reductions at McNeil Island Corrections Center. The agreement contains a list of positions being eliminated at MICC and of positions that will change. It also contains the process and timeline with respect to notifications, bidding, reassignment, etc.
If you have any questions about this process, please talk to your Shop Steward or Business Representative. To view the document you must be a registered user of the Local 117 website. To view the document, click here. To register for the website, click here.
Monday, February 1, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 has partnered with a group of public safety advocates in an effort to prevent closures and the elimination of capacity at the Department of Corrections.
In a full-page open letter published in today's Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, Olympian, and Columbian, the group calls on the Governor and the Washington State Legislature to reject the elimination of beds at DOC on the grounds that closures will jeopardize public safety. The letter will also run in tomorrow's Union Bulletin.
Supporters of the letter include King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, Lakewood Chief of Police Bret Farrar, Executive Director of Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims Jenny Wieland, President of the Pierce County Corrections Officers and Sergeants Guild Doug Johnson, President of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association Tom Pillow, and the Pierce County Deputy Sheriff's Guild, Local 1889.
Thusday, January 28, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 has testified in support of legislation that would include correctional employees who have completed government-sponsored law enforcement firearms training to the lists of law enforcement personnel that are exempt from certain firearm restrictions.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 members at the Larch Corrections Center led a lobbying effort in Olympia last week in an attempt to prevent the closure of that institution.
To read an article from the Local 117 website on the issue, click here.
Monday, January 25, 2010 An editorial published in the Columbian on January 24, 2010, argues against the closure of the Larch Corrections Center:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Teamsters Local 117 members at the Larch Corrections Center (LCC) have been organizing to prevent the closure of that institution. The group has been successful at galvinizing the support of local community leaders. To read an article in the Columbian on the issue, click here.
To read a letter of support from State Representative Jaime Herrera, State Representative Ed Orcutt and State Senator Joseph Zarelli, click here.
To read a letter of support from Mayor of Yacolt Joe Warren, click here.
Monday, January 11, 2010 In a letter to the editor of the Columbian on January 10, 2010, Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Tracey A. Thompson defends public sector employees against calls for privatizing public services including state-run prisons.
Said Thompson, "Public sector workers and their unions have acted responsibly and made enormous sacrifices, stretching government?s capacity to provide desperately needed services. These sacrifices are unprecedented, and include pay freezes, furloughs, layoffs, increased health and welfare costs, and other economic concessions."
Tuesday, January 6, 2010 Sensitive personnel records were stolen from the car of a Larch Corrections Center human resource manager over the weekend.
In an article about the incident in the Columbian, Teamsters Local 117 Director of Law Enforcement and Corrections Michael Beranbaum demands that DOC pay for credit service protection for all employees.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 SAVE JOBS AT DOC! Send a letter or email over the holidays to your representatives telling them that the Governor's proposed budget with respect to DOC unit closures at MICC and LCC is a mistake. To access a sample letter, click here.
Friday, December 11, 2009 Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, is quoted in an article in today's Tacoma News Tribune on the Governor's proposed downsizing of the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC).
Says Thompson, " The public is going to be concerned - and there's good reason to be concerned - about taking beds off line." To read the article in full, click on the link below:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Governor Gregoire released her 2010 supplemental state budget proposal today. The Governor’s budget closes a $2.6 billion gap for the 2009-2011 biennium through a drastic reduction in essential services, including significant cuts to the Department of Corrections.
This reduction comes on top of $9 billion in cuts last year. By law, the Governor must present a balanced budget proposal with existing revenue. The Governor is calling her proposed budget unjust and she says that she does not support it. She is encouraging citizens of the State to contact their representatives to let them know that we must keep all options on the table, including the consideration of new revenue sources.
In January, the Governor will likely release a second version of the budget that closes tax loopholes and proposes a plan for legislators to raise taxes. However, there is no guarantee that the legislature will agree to the January proposal.
The Governor’s proposal as it now stands would affect Teamsters Local 117 members at DOC in the following ways: ·
Reduce the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC) to a 500 bed minimum; MICC inmates would likely move to the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC)
Close Ahtanum View Corrections Center (AVCC)*; AVCC inmates would likely move to CRCC
Close Pine Lodge Corrections Center (PLCC)*; PLCC inmates would move to Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW)
Close the Larch Corrections Center (LCC) for several years · Build new units at the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP)
Potentially close one unit at WSP during construction, but only if the above reductions don’t provide sufficient savings (*AVCC and PLCC are not staffed by members of Teamsters Local 117.)
With these cuts, the Governor estimates a $22.7 million reduction to the Department. Your Local Union would see a loss of approximately 81 FTEs. Closures would begin in May.
TAKE ACTION! We urge you to call 1-800-562-6000 and tell your representatives that the Governor’s proposed budget as it now stands is unjust. Tell them to support a fair budget proposal that protects public safety, cuts tax loopholes, and identifies new sources of revenue. Call today!
Stay tuned to the DOC News Ticker of the Teamsters Local 117 website for more action alerts and ongoing updates.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 An article was published in yesterday's Clark County Columbian that describes an effort on the part of Union members to save the Larch Corrections Center. To read the article in full, click here.
Monday, November 30, 2009 In a November 23rd letter from the Department of Corrections Labor Relations Manager Todd Dowler to Teamsters Local 117, the Department threatens to unilaterally implement BFOQ designations at WCCW and MCCCW starting on January 1, 2010.
Teamsters Local 117 has responded to DOC's letter by outlining the consequences if the Department moves forward with its threat.
Your Local Union contends that the BFOQ designation constitutes a violation of both your rights under your collective bargaining agreement and of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Local 117 has a pending EEOC charge on the issue and has recently filed a tort claim with the State.
Unilateral BFOQ implementation as threatened in the DOC letter would also result in your Local Union filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Commission.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 Teamsters Local 117 Tracey A. Thompson has published a guest editorial in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin that discusses the Union's opposition to the recommendations made in the OFM's facility closure study. Read the editorial in its entirety below:
Mothballing prison units in Washington state long-term mistake by Tracey A. Thompson
The final report recommending the closure of facilities at the Department of Corrections (DOC) is shortsighted and should not sway the Governor's office or the Washington State Legislature. The report's recommendation to close critical prison units would jeopardize public safety and result in only short-term savings while in all likelihood increasing the State's costs over the long term.
The report is the result of a hastily conducted study analyzing the elimination of beds at DOC. The consultants hired by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to carry out the study recommend three closure options. Their preferred option suggests that the state downsize the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC) and the Larch Corrections Center (LCC) while using $41 million in capital funds to construct new units at the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP).
Once the new units are built at the Penitentiary, McNeil Island would reopen and the Main Institution at the Penitentiary would close. The consultants say they considered several factors in making their recommendations, including inmate population forecasts and the effect of closures on DOC employees and the surrounding communities. Despite this claim, however, the report appears to have been written in a vacuum. It minimizes the input of important stakeholders, lacks a thoughtful analysis of current economic conditions, and most troubling, concedes that prison closures today may have to be revisited in as little as two years. The most immediate impact of prison closures would be on the economy and on public safety.
Enacting the report's recommendations would lead to the loss of hundreds of good, family wage jobs in economically distressed areas. With unemployment nearing 10% statewide, the proposed elimination of units would exacerbate the lack of work opportunity and prolong the State's economic downturn. Furthermore, the report makes no mention of the impact that the current economic downturn is likely to have on recidivism. The consultants base their report on a projected dip in incarceration rates over the next two years; yet it seems reasonable to assume that recidivism rates will be higher in a down economy where there is high unemployment. We put our communities at risk if we do not have the bed capacity in our prisons for repeat offenders.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the report is that shuttered units may need to be reopened at a significant cost to taxpayers if long-term inmate populations increase, as they likely will according to the report's own projections. Additional resources would need to be expended to recruit and train new staff. In a dangerous prison environment, experienced correctional workers are invaluable to ensuring the safety and security within the prisons and in their surrounding communities.
The announcement of a study to explore the possibility of prison closures galvanized communities in Walla Walla, Pierce County and Monroe. Public officials, business and labor leaders, corrections workers, along with the families of inmates formed community task forces to draw the consultants' attention to these and other important issues. Sadly, their input was largely overlooked. Input provided by police chiefs and prosecuting attorneys was also ignored.
Serious prison reform should involve thoughtful research that leads to carefully-considered public policy, not a hastily constructed mandate tied to political expediency.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 State Senator Mike Carrell has an editiorial in today's Seattle Times on public safety as it relates to the report's recommendations:
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 A letter from your Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson:
Dear Members –
There is significant concern among Teamsters at the Department of Corrections over the Office of Financial Management’s draft report on Facility Closures and how it might impact Union members and their families.
The report recommends that the state either;
1) Close the Main Institution at the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) and possibly three additional custody units there; and reduce the Larch Corrections Center (LCC) by 50 percent.
OR;
2) Downsize the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC) by 50%; close LCC; and close two units at WSP.
We believe that the report and its recommendations are the product of a hastily conducted study that was flawed on many levels. Enacting the report’s recommendations could lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs in economically distressed areas and put the safety of Union members and the community at risk.
Given that inmate populations are projected to increase after only two years and that the recidivism rate will likely increase during high unemployment, mothballing any DOC institution would be terribly shortsighted.
Your Union will do everything we can to protect as many jobs as possible, to ensure the safety of our members, and to protect our communities. Although the State’s continuing weak economy makes some reductions to the Department inevitable, we will do everything possible to minimize the effect on our members.
Many of you have contacted your state representatives and let them know where you stand on this issue. If you haven’t done so already, I urge you to contact the Governor’s office and your representatives in the Legislature at 1-800-562-6000. Tell them that the OFM draft report does not address the realities of our state’s current economic circumstances and that the closure of any facility staffed by our members is a mistake.
In the coming weeks, we will be recruiting member volunteers willing to testify during the next legislative session and to meet one-on-one with legislators so that we can make our voices heard. Talk to your Business Representative about how you can get involved. For ongoing updates, continue to monitor your Local Union’s website at www.teamsters117.org.
Thank you for your outstanding service to your community.
In Solidarity, Tracey A. Thompson Secretary-Treasurer
Monday, October 26, 2009 Editorial in Sunday's Walla Walla Union Bulletin on the OFM draft report:
Thursday, October 22, 2009 The time period to comment on the draft report at the Office of Financial Management's website has expired.
There is still time, however, to let the Governor and your representatives in the Washington State legislature know what you think of the report's recommendations. This is important because in the coming weeks the Governor will decide whether she will incorporate the report's recommendations into her budget.
Don't wait! Make your voices heard. Let your elected officials know your opinion on the study. Tell them: “Don’t base your decisions on the future of public safety in our state based upon a study that appears to be incomplete and does not address the realities of our state’s current economic circumstances.”:
Call 1-800-562-6000 and tell the Governor and your three representatives in the legislature that downsizing McNeil, closing Larch, and closing the Main Institution is a mistake.
Monday, October 19, 2009 Consultants hired by the Office of Financial Management have issued a report recommending options for the elimination of beds at the Department of Corrections. It is our contention the underlying premise of the study is flawed.
Although we have been promised all of the supporting documentation for the study we have still not received it. The study appears to have been conducted in a vacuum without looking at what is present in our economy today.
The consultants propose:
1) Close the Main Institution at WSP, and possibly three additional custody units there; reduce Larch by 50 percent.
OR
2) Drastically downsize the McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC); close Larch Corrections Center; close two units at WSP.
The consultant’s report:
Does not address input from the Walla Walla, Lakewood, and Monroe communities;
Does not address the effects the economic downturn may have on recidivism;
Does not address the input from Police Chiefs and Prosecuting Attorneys
Ignores real public safety concerns;
Enacting the report’s recommendations:
Could lead to hundreds of lost jobs in economically distressed areas;
Could potentially cause a public safety fiasco;
Could be shortsighted – inmate populations are projected to increase after only two years;
Could waste time, money, and resources to retrain new staff;
With all of the problem there seem to be with this draft it appears to be premature for the legislature to make a decision based upon it. Don’t let the draft report dictate the outcome!
Make your voices heard. Let your elected officials know your opinion on the study. Tell them: “Don’t base your decisions on the future of public safety in our state based upon a study that appears to be incomplete and does not address the realities of our state’s current economic circumstances.”:
Call 1-800-562-6000 and tell the Governor and your three representatives in the legislature that downsizing McNeil, closing Larch, and closing the Main Institution is a mistake.
Friday, October 16, 2009 Your Local Union has achieved a significant victory for Teamsters at DOC. Local 117 Government Relations Coordinator, Anna Jancewicz, has helped effectuate a change in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) that defines “assault” for purposes of the assault benefits that can be claimed by DOC employees.
Your Local Union persuaded representatives from DOC to amend the code to eliminate the requirement that an offender’s actions must be “intentional” under the definition of assault.
WAC 137-78-010 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) "Assault" means an ((intentional)) unauthorized touching, including spitting and/or throwing a substance/object, striking, cutting, or shooting ((of a person or the body of another)) by an offender resulting in physical injury to an employee. (2) "Assault benefits" means reimbursement to employees of some of their costs attributable to being the victim of an offender assault. (3) (("Administrator, safety and risk management" means the individual who is appointed by the secretary to head the safety and risk management section or his/her designee.)) "Assistant secretary" means the executive head of one of the department's organizational divisions. (4) "Department" means the department of corrections. (5) "Employee" means any individual who is appointed by the secretary, and who serves under the supervision and authority of the department. The term "employee" shall not include an individual performing personal services under contract or offenders. (6) "Deputy secretary" is the deputy secretary for the ((office of correctional operations)) department or his/her designee. (7) "Doctor" means a person licensed to practice one or more of the following professions: Medicine and surgery; osteopathic; chiropractic; drugless therapeutics; podiatry; dentistry; optometry. (8) "Offender" means any person in the custody of or subject to the jurisdiction of the department of corrections. (9) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of corrections or the secretary's designee. [Statutory Authority: RCW 72.01.090. 03-21-088, § 137-78-010, filed 10/17/03, effective 11/17/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 72.13.170. 89-15-059 (Order 89-05), § 137-78-010, filed 7/19/89, effective 8/19/89.]
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 The Office of Financial Management (OFM) released a draft of its feasibility study report today recommending the elimination of inmate beds at DOC. The final report is due out on November 1. Your Local Union is studying the draft report and preparing a strategy. OFM is allowing a week for public comment on the report. To read the report, click here.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Still no word from the Office of Financial Management on the feasibility study report due out yesterday that will likely recommend the elimination of inmate beds at DOC. As soon as the report is released, Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, will discuss the report on KIRO news radio. We will also be publishing an analysis of the report in the upcoming issue of the Guardian. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 The Tacoma News Tribune is reporting on an attempt by State officials to settle open-records disputes more quickly. Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag have created a task-force to discuss the topic. The group consists of representatives from the legislature, government, unions, and citizen groups. Local 117 Government Relations Coordinator/Staff Attorney, Anna Jancewicz, is representing Teamsters Local 117 on the task force. Jancewicz, who battled the disclosure of information sought by prisoners, is advocating for state employees to be able to protect their home addresses.
Friday, October 2, 2009 The Seattle Times has published a front-page article, State may close 2 prisons to cut costs, that asserts that the Department of Corrections is considering drastic cost-cutting measures that could lead to facility closures.
The article references a report from the governor's Office of Financial Management (OFM) to be released on October 12 that may recommend closing one adult prison or the elimination of inmate beds. The AP has also picked up the story.
Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, makes the case in the Times article for keeping prison doors open to save jobs and prevent a future shortage of available beds.
"Our biggest concern is about closing units and facilities when we're looking at forecasts that will say that the prison population will start increasing in the next two or three years," Thompson said, citing figures released by the Washington State Caseload Forecast Council.
In a taped interview this morning on KIRO radio, Secretary-Treasurer Thompson spoke again about the shortsightedness of prison closures given the forecast for increases in the inmate population.
Stay informed by continuing to monitor the DOC News Ticker at your Local Union's website. As soon as the OFM report is made public, we will distribute the new issue of the DOC Guardian with an analysis of the report.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 On Tuesday, September 22, community members, local officials, business owners, and Local 117 members met at the Monroe City Hall with Christopher Murray & Associates, the consultant group that has been hired by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to conduct a feasibility study that could lead to the closure of Department of Correction facilities or the elimination of inmate beds.
Said Teamsters Local 117 Business Representative, Larry Stott, who attended the meeting in Monroe: "We wanted to impart to the consultants the risk of facility closures and the lasting impact it would have."
As of September 30, communities across the state have rallied in support of MICC, WSP, and MCC, the DOC institutions that the consultants have targeted for possible closures.
The consultant's final report to the OFM originally due out on October 1 has been postponed to October 12, 2009. Your Local Union will publish the report on its website at www.teamsters117.org as soon as it is made available. The new issue of the DOC Guardian will be released with an analysis of the report shortly after it is made public.
Monday, September 14, 2009 The Pierce County Community Taskforce met with the consultant group, Christopher Murray & Associates on Thursday, September 10, in an effort to express their concerns about the group's feasibility study that could lead to the closure of McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC).
Approximately 25 people were in attendance, including several key members of the Washington State Legislature, Tacoma Mayor Baarsma, a representative from the Pierce County Sheriff's office, a local Pastor, and a member of the Steilacoom Chamber of Commerce.
The Taskforce laid out their concerns regarding facility closure and elimination of beds at McNeil. They also talked about the economic impact a closure of McNeil would have on the County and discussed alternative uses such as the leasing of beds to municipalities, other states, feds, etc.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 A group of some 50 elected officials, business owners, Local 117 members, and other concerned citizens gathered together on Friday, August 28, at Pierce College in Lakewood to discuss a feasibility study that could lead to the closure of McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC) or elimination of inmate beds.
Community members at the Lakewood meeting were vocal and resolute in their support of MICC and vowed to bring their concerns to Christopher Murray & Associates, the consultant group that has been hired by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to conduct the study.
Attendees cited a range of adverse consequences the impact of MICCl could have on the community. Closing McNeil, the group said, would be a major blow to 700 working families in the region and would severely hurt local businesses. Moreover, DOC would lose an institution that excels at providing unique health services and successful rehabilitation programs for offenders.
The OFM was charged by the Washington State Legislature in the last legislative session to complete the study that will recommend the elimination of 1,580 beds at prison facilities operated by DOC. The consultant’s final report to the OFM is due on October 1, 2009.
Among the elected officials at the Lakewood meeting were Mayor of Tacoma, Bill Baarsma, Mayor of Steilacoom, Ron Lucas, State Senator, Mike Carroll, and State Representatives, Tami Green, Steve Conway, and Dan Meyer, as well as representatives from Congressman Adam Smith and Norm Dick’s offices.
A number of similar community meetings organized to prevent the closure of units at WSP were held in Walla Walla earlier in the month.
Monday, August 24, 2009 To view an article in the Seattle Weekly referencing the consultant group, Christopher Murray & Associates' visit to the Washington State Reformatory at the Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC), click here.
Friday, August 21, 2009 With the help of Local 117’s legal team, two Teamster Corrections Officers at Airway Heights Correctional Center (AHCC) won an important arbitration victory when an arbitrator ruled on August 14 that DOC had violated their collective bargaining agreement in denying them the right to use their “CBA”/personal holiday days.
The two Officers, Jeremy Garberg and Lance Hall, requested “CBA”/personal holiday days last summer so that they could spend time with their family. The Officers are entitled to two “CBA”/personal holiday days per year under their collective bargaining agreement with the Union. DOC denied the request stating that the staffing level had reached the limit of “4 above available relief.”
The Union, led by Local 117 Staff Attorney Anna Jancewicz, argued that there is “clear” and “unambiguous” contract language stating that “CBA”/personal holiday days must be granted under normal circumstances.
According to the arbitrator, DOC’s reason for denying the request was not reasonable or sufficiently job-related. The arbitrator ordered that Officers Garberg and Hall receive compensation equal to the days of leave denied by DOC. This decision represents a major precedent-setting victory for the Union because it presumes that requests for “CBA”/personal holiday days “must normally” be granted under the contract and cannot be arbitrarily denied.
The Task Force met again last Wednesday with state officials and the consultant group, Christopher Murray & Associates, that was hired by the Office of Financial Management to conduct a feasibility study for closing state institutional facilities. Teamsters Local 117 Business Representative, Eydie Dean, was also in attendance. To read a second article in the Union Bulletin on Wednesday's Task Force meeting in Walla Walla, click here.
In related news, Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Tracey A. Thompson, Director of Corrections Michael Beranbaum, and Staff Attorney/Government Relations Coordinator Anna Jancewicz met yesterday with the same consultant group (Christopher Murray & Associates) to provide the Union's perspective on facility closures. In the meeting, Thompson, Beranbaum, and Jancewicz suggested alternatives to shutting down units, such as bringing in offenders from overcrowded prison systems out of state to generate additional revenue.
Friday, July 31, 2009 To read Teamsters Local 117's appeal in the battle over the Department of Corrections’ attempt to make nearly 40% of the correctional staff positions at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) and Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW) BFOQ, click here.
Thursday, July 23, 2009 The Guardian, the e-newsletter for Teamsters at DOC is emailed to all registered users of the Local 117 website who are members at DOC. The new issue features articles on:
The Battle over BFOQ Positions at WCCW and MCCCW
SCCC Sergeant's Son Honored with Local 117 Scholarship
Monday, July 20, 2009 Your Union has learned that DOC intends to eliminate 14 Recreation Specialist positions within the Prisons Division. According to the Department, these positions are being eliminated because the Legislature reduced funding for re-entry programs as well as the 1% across the board reduction ordered by the Governor. Your Union has demanded bargaining over these reductions. Please stay tuned to the DOC News Ticker for updates on this issue.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 DOC has announced that it is closing R2 unit at WCC in Shelton. According to the information your Union has received from DOC, three sergeant positions and 18 CO positions are being eliminated. Another 8 positions are impacted by the unit closure. Your Union will bargain with the Department over the impacts of this unit closure to protect the interests of our members who are working in R2 unit.
Monday, July 13, 2009 Facility Closure Study: In the last legislative session, the legislature appropriated $500,000 to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) for a study to determine the feasibility of closing state institutional facilities (defined as facilities operated by DOC and DSHS) and eliminating beds in the institutional facility inventory. The funding legislation requires OFM to consult with "labor organizations that represent employees who work in these institutions".
After repeated requests to OFM for information and involvement, your Union has learned that the contract for the study, which has a start date of July 9 and must be concluded by November 2009, has been awarded to Christopher Murray and Associates. A kickoff meeting with the contractor, OFM and affected unions is scheduled for July 21.
To read the letter on the issue sent from the Office of Financial Management to your Local Union, click here.
Friday, July 10, 2009 The legal battle over the Department of Corrections’ attempt to make nearly 40% of the correctional staff positions at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) and Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW) BFOQ female-only likely will involve a lengthy litigation process.
Your Local Union filed for appeal after a lower court ruled to dismiss its lawsuit (Summons & Petition for Legal Review) against the Human Rights Commission filed in Washington State Superior Court in Thurston County on March 2, 2009.
In its lawsuit, your Local Union argued that the Human Rights Commission violated the law when it failed to conduct a hearing before it approved the Department of Corrections’ request to make a significant percentage of the correctional officer positions at WCCW and MCCCW female-only.
Your Union is also considering legal challenges directly against DOC should the Department actually implement all of the BFOQ female-only positions. By requesting so many BFOQ positions, DOC management essentially presumed that male staff, most of whom have been in their positions for years without incident, will act unprofessionally.
In discussions with DOC, your Union has argued that if DOC indeed implements such a large number of BFOQ female-only positions it will result in a serious violation of Union members’ promotion, bidding, seniority and overtime rights under the collective bargaining agreement, and t it will lead to serious safety and security problems.
DOC sought the designation of so many BFOQ female-only positions in reaction to a sexual assault lawsuit brought by female inmates against the Department.
The outcome of the Union’s appeal of its case against the Human Rights Commission remains unclear and the appeal process could take several months. In the meantime, your Local Union’s legal team is evaluating other means of legal recourse.
To read your Union’s lawsuit, click here. To read testimony in the case from Teamsters Local 117’s Director of Corrections & Law Enforcement Division, Michael Beranbaum, click here. To read your Union’s legal brief filed in opposition to dismiss the case, click here.
Continue to monitor your Local Union's website for updates on the case.
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