Nov 14, 2018 3 min read

Moments after Washington County Prison Board adjourned Wednesday, county officials issued a four-point response to a vote of no-confidence from members of the National Correctional Employees’ Union.

Members of the bargaining unit voted in February to replace Teamsters Union Local 205, White Oak, with the national correctional organization based in Springfield, Mass.

Last week, the union, representing approximately 50 employees, accused the county’s human resources department, the prison board and jail administration of “promoting a toxic, unsafe environment for staff and inmates.”

The county disagreed, saying that in contract negotiations in September, the union raised concerns about overtime and staffing. The county claims it streamlined its hiring process, posted openings for applicants within days and hired 14 correctional officers, who began working Nov. 5, six weeks after the matter came up.

“It is inconceivable that the union honestly thinks this could be accomplished any faster,” according to the response composed by Warden Edward Strawn, Andrea Johnston, labor relations specialist for the county Human Resources Department, and Michael Palumbo and Associates, the county’s labor law firm.

New hires must complete pre-employment requirements such as an agility test and physical, work clearances, and a drug screening, all of which can take several weeks, the county maintains.

Jail employees have been working under the terms of a contract that expired Dec. 31, 2017. County officials say this contract limits its ability to assign staff to posts based on need and defers to employee preferences.

“As a result, although the county has a number of female corrections officers working on every shift, the county cannot simply assign them” to the wing of the jail housing female inmates.

The county admitted its Human Resources Department did not revise its job posting related to promotion to sergeant. A grievance resulted, but the county claimed the person who filed the grievance had refused the promotion.

County Commission Chairman Larry Maggi, who also is in charge of the prison board, noted Wednesday the county had received a distinction certificate confirming it fully complies with state regulations governing the operation of the jail, continuing high standards for which it has been recognized since 1995.

“Instead of acknowledging that success and working together to improve upon it, the union has elected to chart a much more combative course apparently believing that this will help them in negotiations,” county officials wrote. “The county will also continue in its efforts to achieve a collective bargaining settlement that is fair to its employees, the county and its taxpayers.”