CSC

The road to collective bargaining was not easy. First, CSEA had to change the State collective bargaining law to allow us to organize into a union. The law in the late 1990’s barred anyone at the rank of lieutenant and above from forming a union. The law considered those law enforcement personnel to be managers. Once CSEA successfully lobbied the General Assembly to change the law by deleting the word “lieutenant”, lieutenants in the Department of Correction (DOC) organized into a union represented by CSEA. Our organizing led the way for captains, counselor supervisors, parole managers and eventually deputy wardens to join our new union. It also led the way for
supervising judicial marshals, and lieutenants and captains in State Police to form their own union with CSEA. Lieutenants and captains in State Police had to go to the Connecticut State Supreme Court and back to secure their collective bargaining rights.
When captains and counselor supervisors in DOC tried to organize and join the lieutenants in CSC, the then Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner ran the first anti-union campaign in Connecticut state service. Prior to the captains and counselors supervisor organizing with us, State government remained neutral on whether or not workers should join a union.

Contract Negotiations
Before- Until our last contract, every one of our contracts had to be decided by binding interest arbitration. Even recently, the inclusion of the deputy wardens had to go to interest arbitration. While the issues from pay to work schedules to transfer rights had to be decided by a neutral arbitrator, at its core, these issues were about respect and dignity.
After lengthy negotiations and interest arbitration for our most important first contract, the Rowland Administration and DOC administration led a full court press to have the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee reject our contract and arbitration award. They argued against our wage increases, work schedules and transfer and shift assignment rights. For over an hour, they painted a horrific picture of our first contract. After the administration went, it was our turn. Member after member gave compelling testimony that our first contract was about respect and dignity for the work we performed as the frontline supervisors in our prisons and jails. In the end, both Republicans and Democrats on the Committee voted for our first contract and we had won. Let’s look at several important contract provisions and what existed before and after collective bargaining.

Wages
Before – For most of the time, the State passed on wage increases that were negotiated for unionized state employees to non-unionized employees. Under the Rowland administration, this began to change and non-unionized employees were getting wage freezes while unionized employees were getting raises.
After – CSC had negotiated and arbitrated cumulatively larger wage increases over that period of time than any other bargaining unit in state service since 2001.

Overtime
Before – Lieutenants and captains could only accrue compensatory time off and had great difficulty scheduling the time off and could not be compensated for the time upon retirement. Parole managers would not receive compensatory time off if they were called at home by parole officers to provide supervision and direction.
After – Lieutenants and captains receive overtime pay. There is a system for voluntary overtime before mandatory drafting. Parole managers receive compensatory time for calls received while not at work.

Transfer Rights and Shift Assignments
Before – Management had the unilateral right to transfer members from one facility to another and from one shift to another without regard to seniority.
After – Members have the right to put their names on facility lists including shift assignments. Management must use the list based upon seniority for filling vacant positions. Management can no longer manipulate these lists to allow junior members to work days shifts while senior have to work the off shifts.

Schedules
Before – Management had the unilateral right to change work schedules. During the first negotiations, management changed the work schedule, so that lieutenants would only have a weekend off every nine months. CSEA won a labor board case on this unilateral change during contract negotiations.
After – Union won its preferred work schedule. The schedule is part of the contract and cannot be unilaterally changed by management.

Workshop and Conference Fund
Before – None
After – A $10,000 workshop and conference fund for members.

Tuition Reimbursement
Before – None
After – A $20,000 fund that reimburses employees up to 75% of the UConn rate for tuition and fees.

Grievance Procedure and Discipline
Before – Members had to file their own grievance before management’s employee review board. Members could only grieve discipline or violations of Connecticut statutes.
After – Members have the Union representing them in a grievance procedure ending with arbitration before a neutral arbitrator. Discipline cannot be imposed until after a Step 3 hearing decision.

Military Leave
Before – Members were allowed two weeks of annual field training and up to seven days of ordered training.
After – Members are now allowed two weeks of annual field training and no limit on the number of days for ordered weekend drills. Members are no longer required to use their own time for ordered training.

Sick Leave Bank
Before – No sick leave bank
After – Sick leave bank for those employees with long term illness or injury if they run out of their own sick leave.

Acting Shift Commander Pay
Before – None
After – $26.40 per shift for each shift a lieutenant is the acting shift commander

Educational Stipends
Before – None
After – Stipends for obtaining an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Supervisory Stipends
Before – None
After – $650 per year supervisory stipend

Health and Wellness
Before – None
After – A $10,000 annual fund for the promotion of health and wellness of members and an annual wellness day for members to attend training on health issues. To date, trainings have been held on sleep, mental health, nutrition and substance abuse. The programs initiated by CSC have received national recognition and are being replicated in other states.

Leadership
There were many leaders in our fight for respect and dignity in DOC. Cathy Osten was the first elected president, followed by Chuck Lemelin, then Julius Preston and now Millie Brown. Bob Rinker, retired Executive Director of CSEA, had been our chief negotiator for all our contracts. He even came out of retirement to serve as Chief Negotiator for our most recent contract (2016 to 2021). Bob Krzys, CSEA’s legal counsel, now retired, presented our issues in numerous interest arbitrations including the most important one, our first contract. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and paved the way to a better work life.