Michelle Woodrow
Throughout the pandemic, DOC Teamsters and their co-workers have made heroic sacrifices to keep the prisons operational and to maintain a safe and secure environment for each other, the incarcerated population, and our communities. In doing so, they've faced unprecedented staffing shortages.
To help alleviate those shortages, we have been negotiating with the Department to find solutions that are both effective and equitable.
Toward that goal, we achieved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday with the DOC that will adjust the salaries of CO1s and CO2s in the following ways:
- All CO1s that are at Range 41, Steps A through F, will be increased to Range 41, Step G.
- All CO2s that are at Range 44, Steps A through G, will be increased to Range 44, Step H.
You can read the complete, signed MOU here.
Initially, the DOC acted arbitrarily without negotiating with our Union. They began implementing step increases for CO1s, but not CO2s, which is not something we had agreed to. Our Union team pushed back, arguing that leaving out recently-hired CO2s was not appropriate and would create an inequity in pay.
Ultimately, the Department agreed, and we were able to achieve salary adjustments for new officers in both classifications. Once again, this shows the power of having a strong union so that your voice is heard.
The hope is that these increases will help retain existing staff and make entry-level officer positions more competitive. As always, if you have questions, please contact your Union Representative.
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