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US Department of Labor Overtime Issue Unresolved

Due to a popular blog posting stating the overtime issue on shakedowns has been
resolved, Brian Olsen (Executive Director of AFSCME / Council 7) wanted
AFSCME members to know the US Department of Labor has
NOT made a ruling on
the overtime issue involving employee searches.  AFSCME / Texas Correctional
Employees Council has filed a complaint with the US Department of Labor and it is
being reviewed at this time.  The lead investrigator on the case Kennith Overby
stated the issue is under investigation and no decision has been handed down.   It is
important TDCJ employees know this issue has not been resolved and they can
contact 1-800-374-9772 to join in on this complaint.
 



ERS Facing a Budget Short Fall on Health Insurance

     Austin, Texas - The combination of rising health care costs and tight budgets have
left Texas facing a health care funding gap that will affect your health insurance
benefits.  ERS forecasted an increase in health care costs of about 8 percent for 2010-
11, and received funding for a 6.5 percent increase. Recent trends, however, indicate
that health care costs are increasing at about 9 percent. The health plan, at current
benefit levels, faces a funding gap of about $181 million in Fiscal Year 2010. A
contingency fund will be used to cover the funding gap. In FY11, however, the plan
is projected to be $250 million short, and with only $102 million left in the
contingency fund, the plan will have to save money.  In addition to these projections,
state leaders recently asked agencies to submit ways to lower state spending. This
could affect state funding for the insurance program.  

Options to save the plan money include increasing copayments, deductibles,
coinsurance, and contributions for members and dependents.

    Editorial Note: Perry claims to have a balanced state budget.  

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Proposed 5%
Budget cuts for TDCJ in 2010-2011

      • Cut 2,037 Correctional Officer Positions Statewide – $84.4 million dollar cut
     • Marlin Correctional Medical Facility (Delayed Opening) - $ 10.3 million         
        dollar cut
     • Cut 43 jobs in the Board of Pardons and Paroles - $ 2.5 million dollar cut
     • Cut 465 jobs in Institutional Goods and Services - $ 42.0 million dollar cut
     • Cut 195 Parole Supervision Staff - $ 8.1 million dollar cut
     • Cut 198 Correctional Unit Support jobs – $ 6.7 million dollar cut
     • Cut 75 jobs in Administrative Support Operations - $ 3.9 million dollar cut
     • Cut 9 jobs in Information Technology $ 2.7 million dollar cut
     • Cut 16 jobs in Texas Correctional Industries $ 2.4 million dollar cut
     • Cut 34 positions in Treatment Services - $ 1.5 million dollar cut
     • Cut 23 jobs in Offender Services - $ 1.0 million dollar cut
        Total Employment loss $3,095 jobs in TDCJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

       It’s time to start electing your friends to office.
                See letter to the Governor and the Legislative Budget Board   Click Here






3 Inmates Shot Trying to Escape from Polunsky Unit
  Polunsky is Home to Texas TDCJ Death Row






 2 Other Inmates Lay it Down.  Including Houston Cop Killer Juan Quintero.


01-30-2010

   Livingston, Texas  -  Last night around 9 PM, at the end of a prison
church service being held at the Polunsky Unit Gymnasium , five
dangerous convict felons were stop from escaping the unit after they
made a run for the perimeter fence.  Correctional Officers stationed
on the perimeter fence opened fire on the 5 fleeing felon escapees.
   The prison escapees include Juan Quintero, who is serving live for
murdering Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson; MS-13 gang
member Albin Zelaya-Zelaya, who is serving a life sentence for
burglary out of Harris County; Michael Dueitt, who is serving life for
capital murder out of Calhoun County for the murder of  35 year old
Port Lavaca resident Rodney Milner in September of 2001;  Donald
Gower, who is serving a life sentence for capital murder out of
Lampass County;  Terry McDonald, who is serving a life sentence for
murder out of El Paso County.
   Three of the five inmate escapees received gun shot wounds to
their arms and legs.  All three gun shot wound inmates were taken to
area hospitals for treatment.
  The escape attempt is currently under investigation by the Agency's
Officer of Inspector General.

      











         Change May be Coming to
                     Texas Politics

12-04-2009

Austin, Texas - This week has seen a great change in the Texas
political scene.  Today long term Houston Mayor Bill White
announced his plan to run for Texas Governor.  Yesterday Huntsville
businessman Ben Bius filed for Senator Steve Ogden's position.  

Senator Steve Ogden went back on his word that he was retiring and
announced yesterday that he would seek another term in the State
Senate after Georgetown State Representative Dan Gattis stated this
weekend he would not seek Ogden's senate seat in State Senate
District 5.  Steve Ogden announced in September that he was retiring
from state politics.

Ben Bius stated he will not bow out of the race after Ogden's
announcement.  Ogden has not had a challenger in the primary race in
the last 16 years.  Texas monthly editor Paul Burka named Ben Bius
as serious contender to Ogden.  

Senator Steve Ogden was the chair of the committee which addressed
state employee pay raises this last session.  With a large amount of
university and state employees in State District 5, Ogden may face a
harsh recourse in the primary election.  


12-04-09

Huntsville - Inmate Arcade Comeaux was still on the run as on
today.  Comeaux escaped a prison transport van transporting him
between the Estelle Unit in Huntsville and the Stiles Unit in
Beaumont. Comeaux took the two veteran transportation officers
hostage while the van was Conroe.  Comeaux used a hand gun to take
over the transport van.  An investigation is pending on how the high
security inmate gained access to a handgun.

Texas Criminal Justice Senate Chairman Senator John Whitmire told
CNN that "We need a complete shake-up of the leadership of our
prison system and/or an outside review by third parties."  Senator
Whitmire has been critical on contraband issues in the Texas Prison
System after he received a cellphone call from Texas Deathrow
inmate Richard Tabler last year.  


08-10-2009
Correctional Positions Reclassified
Correctional Employee Career Step Adjustment

This step adjustment will be active September 1, 2009 and will be reflected on the
October 2009 pay check.

CO I, CO II, CO III, CO IV, and CO V  3.35%
Sergeant 4.91%
Lieutenant 6.50%
Captain 8.12%
Major 8.12%
LM IV 6.87%
FSM IV 8.10%


TDCJ contraband will be an issue in the Governor's race, Kay Bailey Hutchinson is
attacking Perry on his ability the control contraband (Dallas Morning News)

Welcome TDCJ's new Correctional Institutional Division Director Rick Thaler.         
Click Here to Comment

Officers and Inmates Forced to Sweat it Out ( Houston Chronicle)

Prison guard shortage eases (Statesman / National AP)

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 06-22-2009

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.

Pay Raise 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

          Links of Interest

AFSCME  Correctional Employees Council 7

Texas Correctional Association

Click here to go to the Official TDCJ Agency Site

Texas Legislator Online

Texas Governor's Office

Voter Information

TDCJ Union .com Blog / News

Grits For Breakfast

Texas Prison Bidness Private Prison Information

Message Board

American Correctional Association Facts