Correctional Officers week 2007 will be long remembered for the number of rallies, protests and memorials held by our profession across the nation. In Massachusetts on May 8th over 1,000 Officers marched on the State House in Boston protesting that they have not had a collective bargaining agreement in 40 months. While Massachusetts DOC managers have received increases from 16 to 33%, the line staff who do the job received nothing! Remember that the next time someone tries to persuade you to support Mitt Romney for President. His administration refused to negotiate in good faith with the union and left a mess for incoming and current Governor Deval Patrick to deal with. The leadership of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) has done an outstanding job and deserves a lot of credit, but kudos to the 1,000 plus Officers who descended on Boston to have their voices heard. That?s what it takes, and they were not alone. Officers from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island also attended the protest and joined their Massachusetts brothers and sisters.
The adverse affect of not having a collective bargaining agreement for 40 months can be felt in every prison in the state. It?s not just about being paid in accordance with the difficulty of the job. Retention, recruitment and morale go down, sick leave, unpaid absences and mandatory overtime all go up. All of which have a very negative impact in an already incredibly stressful environment.
The adverse affect of not having a collective bargaining agreement for 40 months can be felt in every prison in the state. It?s not just about being paid in accordance with the difficulty of the job. Retention, recruitment and morale go down, sick leave, unpaid absences and mandatory overtime all go up. All of which have a very negative impact in an already incredibly stressful environment.
