The Guardian News from the Hardworking Men and Women of DOC
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Volume VIII No. 2 - Summer 2015 MembersTEAMSTERS of LOCAL TEAMSTERS 117 LOCAL 117 The Guardian News from the hardworking men and women of DOC Teamsters Local 117: 14675 Interurban Ave. S, Suite 307 l Tukwila, WA 98168 l 1-888-872-3489 l www.teamsters117.org By Nicholas Cannady CBCC member changes SMALL BUSINESS his view of the union IS ON OUR SIDE Newspaper ads, radio spots, and op-eds highlight small business support understand the important role the men and women of corrections play in protecting our communities. CBCC member, Officer Nicholas Cannady They also understand that y name is Nicholas Cannady, and funding the corrections’ contract MI am 22 years old. I have worked as will pump $527 million into our a Correctional Officer at the Clallam Bay state’s economy. More money Correctional Center for 2 years. in the pockets of working When I first started with DOC, I was not a families helps small businesses big fan of the union. I had the common in communities across our state misconception that the union didn’t do thrive. MCC Teamsters with the owner of the Sky River Bakery in Monroe anything except take our union dues. To highlight the small business mall businesses across our state support, we have run ads in several Well, back in January, one of the shop are showing their support for DOC local newspapers. To date, ads have stewards kept talking about the lobby day Scorrectional employees. run in the Peninsula Daily News, the and how it would help us get a raise, so I In Walla Walla, 32 businesses have signed Walla Walla Union Bulletin, the Everett figured, Why not?, and I decided to go. a letter saying that they stand with us in Herald, and an ad is scheduled to run in While at lobby day, I saw how hard all the Olympian on May 27. our effort to get our contract funded. the Teamsters actually work. They cared In Monroe, 42 businesses have signed on. RADIO ADS RUNNING STATEWIDE about getting us our raise and going out In Aberdeen, it’s 21. In the Port Angeles In addition to our print ads, we’re of the way to help DOC members. area, it’s more than 50. running radio spots on multiple stations Then, when I talked in front of the House statewide. In all, over 140 local, small businesses are Committee, I got to see how determined standing together with corrections. Our radio ads feature DOC members and hardworking the Teamsters staff Business owners have not only signed talking about their work and asking the were again and it really changed my the letter of support that we’ve sent public to call their senator about funding opinion of the Union all together. to legislators, they are also displaying our contract. They care about getting DOC their raise window clings in their store fronts stating, Thanks to the following members who and helping DOC employees who are “WA State Correctional Employees: You helped record the ads: Michelle Alejo facing problems inside and outside of Protect Us. We Support You.” (RN) and Derek Kennedy (CO2) of WCC, work. A $527 MILLION ECONOMIC BOOST Dave Roberts (CO2) of MCC, Eduardo Michele (CO2) and Jeannie Stoddard Small businesses are rallying behind I’m proud to say I am a Teamsters Shop (OA3) of WSP. correctional employees because they Steward. see CONTRACT, Page 2 A message from your Local 117 President and You can listen to the ads on your Union CONTRACT website at www.Teamsters117.org. Director of Corrections & Law Enforcement cont. from page 1 OP-EDS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We’ve also had great success placing guest editorials and letters to the editors in a number of GETTING OUR CONTRACT FUNDED newspapers statewide. Brothers and Sisters: Local 117’s new Secretary-Treasurer John Scearcy published an op-ed piece We’ve changed the conversation in in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin Olympia, but there is still work to be on May 5 (see page 3), and Joschue done. Reyes, a classification counselor and Michelle Woodrow The legislature is now in special session Shop Steward at CBCC had an opinion because they’ve been unable to reach piece published in the Forks Forum. agreement on a new two-year budget. The biggest We’ve placed letters to the editor in sticking point between the House and Senate budgets has several newspapers across the state. been over compensation for state employees. Both sides In his piece in the Peninsula Daily recognize that in order for a deal to get done, they’re going News, Scott Henderson, a CO2 at to have to fund the contracts. CBCC, writes: This was not a foregone conclusion just months ago. What changed was the pressure the collective power of our Union “Working in a maximum security put on the legislature to get it done. prison comes with many risks. In 2009, I found myself in a physical Back in January, when we held our annual – and largest to altercation with an offender who had date – Lobby Day with over 200 members and their families, no issues necessarily with me, but we kicked off a long engagement with legislators that has who had issues with the uniform I spanned some 130 days. wear and what it represents.... Some In that time, we’ve accomplished the following in our correctional employees have been campaign to pressure legislators: permanently injured and some have made • Over 140 small businesses, from Forks to Walla Walla, have the ultimate sacrifice doing the work we do to ensure our signed on to support funding for our contract campaign; communities are safe. At what point do our state senators begin to respect the sacrifices we make and fund our • We’ve run ads in areas with a density of small business negotiated contract?” supporters in the Port Angeles Daily News, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, the Everett Herald, and in the Olympian; All of this work is having an impact. Our lobby team on the ground in Olympia says that legislators have seen and • We’ve been on the radio, blanketing the state with ads in heard our ads and that they’re making a difference. every major market, talking about the importance of funding our contract; Still, our work to ensure that our contract is fully funded is far from over. Be sure to share our ads with your co- • We’ve met with legislators in their offices, testified at workers and patronize the businesses that you see listed committee hearings, and engaged legislators in-district, on in the newspapers. Above all, make the call to your State the phones and over email; Senator now! • Members have submitted over a dozen Letters to the Editor and we’ve placed 3 op-eds in local newspapers. Together, we’ve done a lot of great work, but there’s still more to be done. Call your Senator today and encourage your co- workers to do the same. Your voice makes a difference! Respectfully, Michelle Alejo (RN) and Derek Kennedy (CO2) of WCC recording our DOC radio ads. Michelle Woodrow President and Director of Corrections & Law Enforcement ACT NOW! Call the legislative hotline in Olympia at 1-800-562-6000 and tell your State Senator to fund our DOC contract! DON’T WAIT. CALL NOW! Summer 2015 | The Guardian | 2 Woodrow shares strong Published in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin on May 5, 2015 words for Senate Committee ichelle Woodrow, your Union’s SUPPORT OUR CORRECTIONAL MPresident and Director of Corrections & Law Enforcement, called out Senate budget writers for voting EMPLOYEES WHO KEEP US SAFE against funding our DOC contract. By John Scearcy, Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Woodrow’s testimony, which she he recent brawl The contract contains modest wage delivered on March 31 before the Senate Tthat took place increases that were awarded by an Ways & Means Committee, appears at the Washington independent arbitrator and deemed below. You can view her testimony on State Penitentiary financially feasible by the state’s Office TVW or at www.teamsters117.org. is another reminder of Financial Management. The state’s of the inherent House of Representatives voted to dangers of working Good afternoon Chair Hill and John Scearcy approve the contract, while the Senate committee members. My name is Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer inside a prison. voted against it. Michelle Woodrow and I am the The fight broke out in the West Complex It’s been seven years since these Director of Corrections and Law gym and involved 25 to 30 inmates. workers have received a cost-of-living Enforcement at Teamsters Local 117. The officers on duty at the time were adjustment or general wage increase, On behalf of the 5,700 Teamsters at faced with the difficult task of restoring and they have seen their real earnings DOC I must tell you we are infuriated. order while at the same time protecting shrink by more than 10 percent. Our members provide a vital themselves and other inmates. Approving the corrections contract public safety service keeping their Given the challenges, prison staff would help our state’s economy. communities, your constituents, safe. responded quickly and effectively, The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ During contract negotiations with the quelling a dangerous incident that impact model indicates that a fully- State it was proven that these workers were 20-45% behind their comparables could have escalated into a deadly riot. funded Department of Corrections and have lost 11% of their purchasing Correctional employees routinely face contract would generate $527 million power since their last general increase this type of violence.