Thursday, 05 April 2007 01:13
Union Officials Refuse Gov. Schwarzenegger's Contract Offer For Prison Guards
The Schwarzenegger
administration's latest contract offer to the state prison guards union would
boost pay more than 14 percent over three years, but the union would have to
give up some of its management power in return. Union officials said they are unwilling to make such
concessions. They also contend the proposed pay scale would put prison guards
further behind other state and local law enforcement agencies.
A meeting last week to
present the administration's offer broke off quickly, and no new talks are
scheduled, said spokesmen for both sides. "They're clearly not serious about reaching a deal with us at this
point," union Vice President Chuck Alexander told the Associated Press.
"We told them they were wasting their time." The Department of
Personnel Administration says the contract would increase the annual top base
salary for a correctional officer from $73,700 to $83,000, including pension
coverage. Guards also are paid overtime. The pay raises would cost the state $622 million over three
years for rank-and-file officers, and $738 million including pay raises for
higher-ranking officers whose pay is tied to the contract. The union's
contract expired in July, but the terms continue until a new contract is
signed. State lawmakers say Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's prison building and
rehabilitation proposals are unlikely to get legislative approval until a new
contract is negotiated. The union lobbied heavily against the governor's prison
program last year, and it died without a vote in the Assembly.