Council 2 files grievance on behalf of correctional officers

AN ARBITRATOR has Correctional officers felt that officials in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center were so tardy in implementing a new security system that in August they walked off the job for an hour in protest.

The officers, all members of Council 2, felt they had waited long enough for action from the authorities. After all, inadequate security had led to several incidents — outlined recently in “The Wenatchee World” — over more than two years.

On New Year’s Eve 2002 inmates broke a window in a cell block and smuggled in liquor, cigarettes and possibly drugs by pulling them up on a string. The broken window was undetected for three days because the jail’s alarm system did not work.

There was general agreement that the security system needed to be repaired for the safety of the officers, the inmates and the public.

Nothing had been done when, on November 8, 2003, inmates removed a brick from the jail wall and smuggled in drugs. County officials said they were still working on a new security system.

On August 7 2004 inmates used a broken window to smuggle in a hacksaw and hydraulic jack for an escape attempt. No alarm had sounded because discussions were still continuing on a new security system.

On August 11, county commissioners asked for “a list of workers’ security concerns.” That was when the officers walked off in protest.

The protest worked.

As a result, the Regional Jail governing committee declared an emergency and bought $45,000 worth of security equipment, including screens for the windows and surveillance cameras.

But the protesting jail staff received a letter of complaint from the county commissioners saying their protest was illegal and had endangered the “public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Chelan County.”

In addition, the County cut an hour’s wages from the officers’ pay.

In response, Council 2 filed a grievance on behalf of the workers, charging that the county had failed to conduct a proper investigation into the circumstances of the protest, who exactly had taken part in it, and how long they had protested.

The union has not received a response to its grievance complaint yet, says Don Boxford, Wenatchee Staff Representative.

The County, in turn, filed an unfair labor practice against the union with the Public Employees Relations Commission.

The commission responded by issuing a deficiency notice against the county, saying their charge had not been properly worded.

PERC gave County officials 21 days to rewrite the filing.