Wilson Agrees to Pay Raises for Prison Guards

The Wilson administration has agreed to grant a raise of up to 12% to the politically powerful union representing California’s prison guards, one day after the governor used his line item authority to delete $400 million from the new state budget in pay raises for most other state workers, officials said Monday.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., representing 24,314 full-time guards and other prison employees, reached the tentative agreement with Gov. Pete Wilson’s Department of Personal Administration late Saturday.

The pact means the state could be paying veteran officers more than $51,000 a year, not counting overtime.

In what is sure to be a major fight, the Legislature must approve the pact by a two-thirds vote before it adjourns by the end of the month. The union’s membership also must ratify the labor agreement.

Most state workers have gone without raises since 1995. Talks between the Wilson administration and most other unions have been at an impasse for months over Wilson’s demand that state workers give up some Civil Service protections.

Under the deal, the union agreed to some concessions, including stipulations that members will undergo random drug tests and that the Department of Corrections can more easily fire new officers who don’t perform well during their initial probationary period.

The union also agreed to have any merit salary increases based on new performance standards.

The Wilson administration praised the deal. “These correctional officers put their lives on the line each and every day,” said Sean Walsh, Wilson’s spokesman. “They’re getting what they deserve.”

However, several lawmakers contacted late Monday were cool to the deal, and representatives of other state employee unions that have failed to reach an accord with Wilson were angry.

“It smacks of a sweetheart deal,” said Aaron Read, a lobbyist who represents unions for state scientists, engineers, attorneys and others. “As other state employees learn about it, they’re going to be outraged.”

Prison union representatives could not be reached Monday night for comment.

The Department of Corrections has come under particularly heavy criticism in recent weeks. Only days ago, the Legislature concluded extraordinary hearings into alleged brutality at Corcoran State Prison, where seven inmates have been shot to death by correctional officers since the facility opened in 1988, and eight prison officers and supervisors face criminal charges for federal civil rights violations in connection with one of those deaths.

Still, the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. remains one of the strongest forces in the state Capitol. Its lobbyists already were contacting lawmakers seeking support for the deal.

The pending vote, likely to come late this week, takes on added significance in an election year.

The union is one of the most influential forces in state politics. The union has contributed $5.2 million to state campaigns since 1987, and has given $667,000 directly to Wilson.

The association is one of the few that backed the Republican governor in his campaigns. Most other unions representing state workers supported Democratic candidates.

In budget votes earlier this month, the Legislature inserted enough money to give all the 200,000-plus state employees a 9% raise. Although Wilson slashed more than $400 million from the state budget for the raises, his action left enough money to give 3% raises to all state workers. He also left his labor negotiators room to grant heftier raises to some bargaining units.

The deal with the union grants prison workers an across-the-board 5% raise, retroactive to July 1.

Officers also will be paid for an extra eight hours a month--168 hours a month, instead of the current 160 hours. A Department of Personnel Administration analysis says, “This is the equivalent to a second 5% increase in take home pay.”

The extra eight hours will compensate officers for the time it takes them to get into and out of their uniforms, and for an additional 52 hours of mandatory training annually, something the union has been advocating.

Finally, the deal says the state will pick up the cost of an additional 2% of the union members’ retirement that members now pay starting in October.

The top scale for correctional officers now is $3,835 per month, or $46,020 a year.

The across-the-board 5% raise would add $2,301 to their annual pay. The additional 5% boost for the extra hours, plus the 2% the state would pick up for their retirement means that officers could be making a base wage of more than $51,000--plus overtime and various other bonuses they receive.

Additionally, officers would receive a sweetened retirement, allowing them to collect up to 85% of their pay when they leave state service, rather than the current 80%.

Other provisions expand the number of officers who can receive $75 per month bonuses for obtaining additional education, and $1,500 for prison medical technicians who become nurses.

“It’s a very good deal for the state,” Walsh said. “They’ve accepted civil service reforms. . . . There are a number of unions whose [leaders] are obstructionist, who won’t do the most basic Civil Service reforms. That’s sad. Those members should throw their bosses out on their cans.”

Assembly Republican Leader Bill Leonard of San Bernardino said Monday that he would vote for ratification. Assemblyman Jan Goldsmith (R-Poway), who was on the committee that looked into Corcoran, also was leaning toward support.

“A correctional officer’s job is one of the toughest in law enforcement,” Goldsmith said.

Democrats were less supportive.

“If it requires legislative approval, then I guess the prison guards won’t get a pay raise after all,” said Assemblyman Kevin Murray (D-Los Angeles).

“What a sweetheart deal,” added Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), who was on the oversight committee looking into Corcoran. “Wilson is willing to give these individuals this [deal] and throw nothing to the other state employees. . . .

“The governor is picking and choosing. State employees are not even at the table. These [prison union] guys are at the trough.”