CCPOAIronwood.com - Internet Bulletin Board for Members of ISP Chapter CCPOA

Don’t you just love Lance Corcoran?  OK - maybe that’s a little cheesy, but when he’s right - he’s RIGHT!  Here’s his Letter to the Editor of the Bee… you tell ‘em Lance!  It’s about time this was said!

When the editorial staff of The Bee begins to provide less hyperbolic opinions about the profession of correctional officer, we, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, won’t need to run “whiny” ads regarding the realities of prison work.

Blatant distortions and perpetuation of “prison guard” stereotypes do nothing for the cause of reform and rehabilitation. An occasional acknowledgment, devoid of snide comment, regarding positive efforts by correctional officers would provide balance to your editorials.

The Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired is a case in point. It is a nonprofit corporation run by inmates that provides services for both the visually and hearing challenged. The work of these inmates is admirable — and it’s run by a correctional officer. Not one word has been written regarding this program. Pointing out the failures of the prison system is not the way to encourage future success. It simply leads to a demoralized work force.

CCPOA’s “cloak of victimhood” is not pretense. This is an obviously dangerous job. Our true victimhood is from the constant vitriolic opinions of The Bee.

LANCE CORCORAN

West Sacramento

Printed Online at: http://www.modbee.com/opinion/letters/story/13050844p-13707105c.html

I don’t usually post stuff from the Sacramento Bee - usually everything is such a negative slant toward California unions, especially CCPOA - but here’s an update from November 21st that pretty much tells the story:

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association may be miles away from getting a new labor contract with the state, but its members appear to be in line for a pay raise sooner rather than later, thanks to the union’s victory in a grievance it filed a year ago.

In a decision dated Saturday, an arbitrator ruled that the CCPOA’s 31,000 members are entitled to a pay raise based on compensation increases the state gave to the California Highway Patrol. The prison officers’ pay is linked to the CHP’s union contract, and the arbitrator ruled that health insurance and holiday leave-time bumps the state gave over the years to the patrol must translate to more salary for the CCPOA members.

Arbitrator Alexander Cohn of Napa gave the state 20 days to recalculate the prison officers’ pay formula to bring it in line with the CHP’s benefit boosts. The arrangement would work out to a $100 million to $200 million pay raise for CCPOA members out of taxpayer coffers, according to the Department of Personnel Administration.

The arbitrator’s award would amount to a 3.125 percent pay raise for CCPOA members retroactive to July 1, 2005, plus an additional amount based on the reconfigured health care benefit that went to the CHP — four months after the prison officers’ contract expired and at a time when there has been little progress in their union’s negotiations with the state.