CCPOA Ironwood Members,
Today I learned of a series of proposals that the Governor has announced to deal with the increasing budget crisis. Some of the proposals include creating new taxes, increasing existing taxes and drastic cuts to public and higher lever education. These actions will invariably impact millions of California tax payers. In addition, this Governor has once again proposed correcting this State’s financial problems by making cuts to State Employee Benefits and Salaries that will no doubt compound the affects of all the other proposals on you and your families.
I have spoken to many of our members regarding these proposals and as you could imagine, they have serious concerns. Today I contacted the offices of Senator Jim Battin, Senator Denise Moreno-Ducheny, Assemblyman John Benoit and Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia. I expressed to them my concerns as a citizen and employee working and living in their district and as the representative of over 700 CCPOA members who risk their lives every day to protect other citizens of their districts
Today, many members asked what could be done to stave of these proposed cuts and protect our pay and benefits. I ask that every member do the same as I have done, contact these lawmakers and tell them how the proposals will affect your lives. Rest assured, this fight may not be an easy one but it can only be won if every member plays an active role in making this CCPOA chapter of 700 plus members, a true voice of ONE UNION.
I have listed below the Legislators who represent members in and around Ironwood State Prison. Please contact them and be a voice of ONE UNION.
Thank you for your support.
Terry Hammon
Vice President
CCPOA/Ironwood
Senator Denise Moreno-Ducheny Capital Office (916) 651-4040
Senator Jim Battin Capital Office (916) 651-4037
Assemblyman John Benoit Capital Office (916) 319-2064
Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia Capital Office (916) 319-2080
To read more details about the Governor’s Proposal, visit www.ccpoa.org and view official documents, articles and a letter from the Governor to all California State Employees.
The following photos are being posted per request from Monte’s friends at Ironwood who were unable to attend the funeral services last week. I apologize for the delay, but it was difficult getting through the service, and even tougher going through the photos.
R.I.P. Monte - you will be missed!
More photos on next page…
Today the CCPOA website posted the list of 2008 election endorsements. Our area was highlighted as one of two VERY IMPORTANT districts in this upcoming election. Please take a moment and check out the list - which will also be mailed to you as a special election edition of the PEACEKeeper - and read up on the proposition endorsements as well.
ENDORSEMENT LIST | SPECIAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Below is a copy of the special district section posted on CCPOA.org, which is also included on the ENDORSEMENT LIST page:
The 80th AD covers several cities in Imperial County and Riverside County, from Indio to El Centro.
The candidates CCPOA chose to endorse understand our issues and have a genuine respect for the profession and our members. Gary Jeandron (80th Assembly District) will stand up for our rights - as peace officers and state employees.
Jeandron is a former police chief with 30 years of law enforcement experience. Jeandron recognizes the important role public safety officers play in keeping communities safe.
Peace officers statewide support Gary Jeandron. CCPOA does too. We urge the membership to choose Jeandron, in the name of public safety.
To view the full list of endorsements go to: www.ccpoa.org/2008endorsements.shtml
Ironwood’s October 15th Chapter Meeting has been re-scheduled to Wednesday, October 22nd in Blythe. For information on location, please speak with a board member or check the bulletin board on Friday.
Today October 1, 2008, we concluded the so call “meet and confer” process at Ironwood State Prison. CCPOA Ironwood Chapter met with Ironwood’s Administration and State Labor Relations for the last two days concerning A4 ad-seg unit. The first problem with this was the state’s failure to negotiate prior to bringing ad-seg inmates from CVSP to Ironwood and placing these inmates in A4, which was running prior to this as a ad-seg overflow unit and a GP unit all in one. This was due to a CVSP roof project. The project lasted approximately 7 weeks.
On the first day, we met with the Administration and Labor Relations, Ironwood State Prison was in the process of sending inmates back to CVSP – so much for a meet and confer of the impact to Unit Six Members prior to implementation. During this meeting, many impact issues were brought up and all were rejected by the state. The state was not going to answer proposals passed to them by CCPOA on any issues in-writing - rejected or not; they were unwilling to make any agreement.
This was the first time our chapter has met with the state since the LBFO. This is what the state had been doing during local negotiations leading up to and during the time when CCPOA was fighting for a contract.
This is a frustrating process and I fully understand how CCPOA felt during the fight for a contract with the state. I also understand how and why they felt they needed to tell the STATE to go fuck themselves on behalf of the membership. I fully support CCPOA leadership and will continue to fight standing with them and the Ironwood Chapter.
I am reminded of a quote by General George Patton Jr. which says, “May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.”
SHAME SHAME ON THE WARDEN OF IRONWOOD STATE PRISON
J. Baumiller
CCPOA President
Ironwood Chapter
Below is a copy of a memo sent by Secretary Cate to the Executive Staff at CDCR with regard to changes to the Governor’s Executive Order following the signing of the 2008-09 budget.
They may thank the wardens, but they sure didn’t thank the staff who bore the brunt of the true financial sacrifices handed down courtesy of the Governor’s Executive Order. No state employee - save for the Highway Patrol - will ever receive a “fair shake” as long as this governor remains in office.
CLICK HERE TO READ - .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file, opens in a NEW window
Elizabeth O’Campo doesn’t talk much about the day when she put her own life at risk to help rescue two fellow corrections officers.
O’Campo, an Ontario native, was working Oct. 6, 2006, with two male officers searching cells at Ironwood State Prison near Blythe when they discovered drugs and other contraband - which in prison is worth 10 times more than outside, she said.
“You could just feel the tension,” O’Campo said…
Read the full story at: ContraCostaTimes.com
Racial gangs are a way of life in state prisons. But there’s a new push to break up these gangs before sparking violence.
News Channel 3 went inside Ironwood State Prison east of the Coachella Valley near Blythe.
Inside this prison are murderers, rapists, and 4,500 hundred other violent criminals in a space designed for 2,000.
Nobody has escaped this prison. The guards keep a watchful eye and the electric fence is a strong deterrent…
READ THE FULL STORY at KESQ.com Channel 3 Coachella Valley
