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| "Don't worry my evil master, I already killed their Binding Arbitration / Correctional Peace Officer bill in the Senate. I also received help with my evil plan from TPEA. May the forces of evil unite!!!!" |
| "Hey Mini Me, I had a grand evil ideal!!!!! Let's veto the only benefit increase for Texas correctional officers, House Bill 518!!!!!!!!!!!" |
| "You men can't come up with a grand evil plan!!! I killed their 20% raise in my House Select Committee." |
| Don't miss this year's big thriller!!!!! |
| Governor Rick Perry plays Dr. Evil. Mini Me played by Senator Tommy Williams (R) The Woodlands. Representative Debbie Riddle (R) Tomball plays Frau Farbissina This film is Rated "E" for Evil. |
| Welcome to TDCJ Union Blog. This site is for active Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees. Officers and Inmates Forced to Sweat it Out ( Houston Chronicle) Prison guard shortage eases (Statesman / National AP) Submit your comments here: Click Here Vote Yolanda Griego for ERS. Voting starts 6-03-09 and ends 07- 07-09. She is endorsed by AFSCME, Texas State Employees Union, and Texas AFL-CIO. Representative Riddle named by Texas Monthly as one of Texas's worst legislators (Chair of the Criminal Justice Appropriations Select Committee) Legislative Update Last Updated 06-19-2009 Officer pay raise and information 3.5% Effective September 2009 3.5% Effective September 2010 All other state employees will not see their $1,000 bonus due to ruling made by conference committee on Wednesday 05-20-09. The Committee has now reversed their plan and now is offering an $800 bonus for all other state employees. ERS employee contributions will go up due to House Bill 2559. The bill matches State employee contributions with employer (State) contributions up to 6.5 percent. Employees currently contribute 6 percent of their salary into a retirement account and the State contributes 6.45 percent. The bill creates a new 0.5 percent contribution to the LECOS fund for LECOS members only. Conference Committee Members: Senators Ogden - College Station (R)Chair steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0105 (512) 463-5713 (fax) Shapiro - Plano (R) florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 Phone (512) 463-0108 Fax (512) 463-7579 Williams - The Woodlands (R) tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0104 (512) 463-6373 fax West - Dallas (D) royce.west@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0123 (512) 463-0299 fax Hinojosa McAllen (D) juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0120 Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, chair jim.pitts@house.state.tx.us Room CAP 1W.2 P.O. Box 2910 Austin, TX 78768 (512) 463-0516 (512) 463-1051 Fax Reps. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo richard.raymond@house.state.tx.us Room 1W.4, Capitol Building Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0558 (512) 463-6296 Fax Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio ruth.mcclendon@house.state.tx.us Room 4N.4, Capitol Building Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0708 (512) 463-7071 Fax John Otto, R-Dayton john.otto@house.state.tx.us Room E2.906, Capitol Extension Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0570 (512) 463-0315 Fax John Zerwas, R-Houston. john.zerwas@house.state.tx.us Room EXT E2.316 P.O. Box 2910 Austin, TX 78768 (512) 463-0657 (512) 236-0713 Fax (888) 827-1560 Toll Free Correctional Bills and Legislative Update 06-22-09: SB 10 - Senate Bill 10 will result in health care benefits loss. SB 10 died on the Major House Calendar 05-28-2009!!!!!!!! This bill was opposed by AFSCME. HB 3106 Hazardous Duty Pay for Non uniform employees SB 2304 Passed the Senate. Passed House Corrections Committee. Died in Calendars 05-31-09. HB 3497 Career ladder for Industries & Maintenance 05-14-2009 Died in the House General Calendar. HB 518 Tuition reimbursement VETOED BY Perry!!!!!!!! Passed the State Legislature. Governor Rick Perry's vetoes the bill. HB 1914 Abolishing PIE oversight committee (Stops Industries Privatization) Passed the State Legislature. Senate adopts conference committee. Signed into law!!!!!!!! This controversial bill was pushed by AFSCME and opposed by the private prison industry and the agency. This bill helps protect TDCJ industry jobs and free-world employees who had to compete against PIE programs. The House and Senate each gave final approval to HB 1914, a measure by Rep. Jim McReynolds, D-Lufkin, and Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, which would abolish the Private Sector Prison Industries Oversight Authority and impose some requirements on businesses looking to operate under the federal Prison Industries Enhancement program aimed at preventing unfair competition with free-world businesses. The measure had the endorsement of the United Labor Legislative Committee. It now goes to Gov. Rick Perry for a final decision on passage into law. The only member of the conference committee to refuse to sign the final version was Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, who opposed the measure on the Senate floor. The final vote in the Senate was 26-5, while the House voted for the bill 143-0. Under the bill, regulation of private prison industries programs will revert to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The bill states: “The Board shall ensure that private sector prison industries programs are operated under this subchapter in a manner that is designed to avoid the loss of existing jobs for employees in this state who are not incarcerated or imprisoned.” Overtime Cited as Problem at TDCJ Prisons and MHMR State Schools (Maybe a pay raise isn't a bad ideal????) TDCJ Employees rally in Austin for better pay (Statesman) FCC Gives TDCJ Green Light on Cellphone Jamming Testing Direct Trailer Contract Cancelled 2008 Study to Texas Legislative Interim Committee Political Support for TDCJ Pay Raises May Rest on One Man Texas Department of Criminal Justice Under Statewide Lockdown for Smuggled Cell Phone on Death Row Inmate Escapes from Springfellow Unit Rec Yard Inmate Murdered at the TDCJ Clements Unit TDCJ Violence increases as staffing decreases Pay Raises for New Officers Not Enough Governor is Warned about TDCJ Prison Staffing Crisis Staffing a problem or crisis??? (Austin Statesman) Dallas Morning News reports assaults on TDCJ officer and staff have doubled in the last 5 years!!!!!!! A candle light vigal was held October 10, 2007 to honor Officer Susan Canfield as well as other officers who have lost their life. 2007 TDCJ Employee Disciplinary Statistics |