Fellow members,
Recently, a number of issues have crossed my desk that has many of you concerned. Let me deal with them here:
5% Pay Reduction:
This was floated by Republican Leadership - Governor Brewer in particular - as a stop gap measure to avoid wholesale layoffs of state employees, including those in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
To do this for COVERED EMPLOYEES - several state Personnel Rules / Administrative Regulations - Rules - will need to be changed and adopted. The VERY earliest the Arizona Department of Administration puts on being able to accomplish this is mid-May of this year. Per Director Ryan, the Dept. of Corrections is not currently targeted for this program. Things could change, as priorities often have in this ongoing budget crisis.
Non-Covered employees are not subject to the same DOA Rules and Regulations - their salary, and benefits, may be adjusted at any time.
Knowing this, I would ask you to ponder if 95% of your current wages, together with no decrease in benefits, including retirement, is a WHOLE lot better than no wages or benefits at all, for you, or your fellow officers and employees, if actual JOBS have to be cut.
Clearly, AZCPOA is NOT in favor of ANY decrease in wages or benefits. However, we must face the reality of it happening as a result of the majority party at the Legislature seeing this as a viable solution to a portion of the budget crisis.
Attrition:
Another way costs are being contained is when a vacancy occurs due to attrition, resignation or termination, a close analysis is being done to ensure the position is vital to the mission of the agency. This is happening all across state government, not just in DOC.
Juvenile DOC:
Perhaps you and your fellow members saw what happened recently at the Juvenile DOC - the closing of an entire facility and layoffs of over 200 staff. This may provide an indication of just how little majority party thinks of your profession. This was not supported by any of the Democrats. In fact, Democrat legislators were outraged this happened.
Politics:
Because you and your fellow members work for a political entity (The State of Arizona), decisions concerning your life (wages, benefits, future, retirement, etc.) are made by elected officials (Representatives, Senators, Governor). The way this is changed is at the ballot box when elections roll around. So long as those elected care more about corporate profits and less about public employees, what you are seeing now will not change.
State of the State:
In Governor Brewers’ recent State of the State address, she was clear in her message that the answer to the problems with our state budget are shrinking the size of government in Arizona (smaller government equals fewer public sector jobs, including Corrections) and moving as much as possible to private corporations. Video of her speech is available online at www.azleg.gov - look for the streaming video/archive section for 1/11/10.
Our Future:
There is no doubt that more of the same will be had should the same folks be elected in the fall. Current Attorney General Terry Goddard is the leading Democratic candidate for Governor. NONE of the current field of Republican candidates supports you as a public employee, or believes in your value.
My Commitment:
The Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, and I as Executive President, will continue to fight on behalf of our membership. We will not lie down and just accept wage or other benefit cuts. Those who drop their membership in AZCPOA because of grandiose promises will soon find themselves on their own with no voice at all. Given the options, I think it is pretty clear who gets heard.
Closing:
Let me be clear. AZCPOA leadership stands committed to work with legislators on both sides of the aisle, the Governor's office, and ADOC Leadership to help resolve the current budget crisis.
Thank you for your continued support,
Tixoc Munoz
AZCPOA Executive President
I do not appreciate any union that brings forth strong political urgings as ASCPOA has. Specifically, you have told me in the latest letter from Tixoc, that Republicans are pushing for our pay decrease, Democrats did not support (and were outraged by) the closing of the juvenile facility, and NONE of the current field of Republican candidates support me as a public employee, or believes in my value. You then wisely advise us that, "The way this is changed is at the ballot box when elections roll around. So long as those elected care more about corporate profits and less about public employees, what you are seeing now will not change."
Though I care about my job, I do not subscribe the the idea that only Democrats are on my side and Republicans need to be voted out. Even if I did believe that, I certainly do not feel like it is your place to suggest it to me and my fellow officers and use the well-being of my job as a dangling carrot to get a partisan vote. I am extremely upset and I intend to bring this up to several officers, whether they are with AZCPOA or not.
A union is a number of persons, states, etc., joined or associated together for some common purpose. That purpose with AZCPOA, FOP, and whatever new union out there, is to be an advocate for our rights, our wants, and our needs. We are not supposed to be used as political leverage. When you go to whatever meetings you go to, with whatever people who have the power to make things better for us, threatening them with a few thousand votes is not only stupid, it's wrong. If you can't lead a union without making such obvious attempts to sway our votes, you are doing it wrong.
I am SERIOUSLY considering resignation from AZCPOA.