77th Legislative Wrap (By: Toby Tobias)
At the very top of this session, lawmakers spoke in glowing terms of prioritizing Correctional Officers and related employees regarding adjusting their pay schedule, supporting a career ladder for the first time ever, and viewed AFSCME/CEC 7's Professional Respect Now Campaign in a positive light. Most wanted to resolve this time-consuming segment early on because of the unique circumstances associated with TDCJ, i.e. short staff (2800), high turnover rate annually (22%), recruiting shortfall, training, employee burnout (over time worked), and the Connally 7 escape. However, somewhere along the way, it became business as usual, with the exception of a group of lawmakers who bonded together on behalf of the Correctional, Food Service, Laundry, Parole and Case Worker employees. They were State Representative Ellis, Ritter, Hobson and Turner in the House; Senators Rodney Ellis and Barrientos from the Senate, aided by Rob Junell, Sylverster Turner and others from the House. Everyone increased their presence on Lobby Days, testified more intently at board and committee hearings, caught up to lawmakers in the Capital Cafeteria and the State House hallways, never letting them forget your presence and yoru chosen agenda.
Then another turn of events occurred. The Senate released their Pay Proposal plan, which differed entirely from the House proposal. The House version was a much better proposal and also included a new career ladder for the first time. Now, we have a problem...whose plan is going to win out? It is around April 20th by this time and our last Lobby Day. What a day it turned out to be. You were out in force! I remember quite well the visitation schedule decided upon by our lobby teams. The pay proposal was assigned to a conference committee of five Senators and five Representatives for reconciliation. Beeville grabbed the Senate members; Palestine took the House members, followed by Abilene, Amarillo, Angleton, Beaumont, Gatesville, and Huntsville officers blitzing the same offices. All of you methodically, professionally and very much in sync, must have portrayed the impression you were willing to "drop the bombs and watch them live in the ashes" if they did not hear our message and get it right. Some were even advised the only thing you find in the middle of the road is "white strips and dead armadillos, neither of which solves the pay proposal issue." In the end the better proposal won out, thanks to those Senators, Legislators, and you, who stood strong on the issue.
The AFSCME/CEC 7 Board is proud of you. You have "Come of Age"!
RECAP:
*Across-the-Board
pay raise for ALL State Employees PASSED
*4% Increase for Higher Education: UTMB, Texas Tech and
Non-Security Personnel PASSED
*Correctional Officer Career Ladder: Entry Level CO's,
8% increase; Veteran Officers (8 years), 6.25% increase, with commensurate %'s
from CO's and up, including Majors PASSED
*HB3185: Professional Respect Now VETOED
*SB292: Retires Dues Deduction: Authorizes the Retirement
Systems to deduct from all Retirees a monthly annuity payment equal to the amount
of the fee for retirees who chose to participate in State Employee Organizations.
PASSED
ONWARD
TO 2003
Issues already under consideration but are not limited to, include:
*Hazardous
Duty Pay Increase
*C.O.L.A.'s for all State Employees
*Schedule D - For all Correctional Officers
*Meet and Confer - Explore the ways and means of this long-shot possibility
*Enhance the Professional Respect Now bill, which was passed in this Session
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