DOC salaries too high? Private prisons pay much less A letter from Colorado Senate Republicans spotlighting the salaries of roughly 4,000 Department of Corrections workers is drawing fire from the state employee union as well as Senate Democrats. The July 19 letter, signed by all 17 Senate Republicans, says the state’s latest salary plan — due to be finalized Aug. 1 — wrongly implies that state DOC workers are underpaid and fails to point out they receive 33 percent more money than private prison workers. The letter notes a recent study showing state prison employees average $51,357 a year while private prison staffers average $34,500. It also says DOC employees have other benefits, such as retirement, overtime and access to government vehicles. The annual salary survey, or schedule, sets the pay scale for state workers based on comparisons to a list of factors, including private employers. “We would request that all of these factors be considered and corrected prior to the release of the Aug. 1, 2013, salary survey,” the GOP lawmakers said. Among those who signed were Sens. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, and Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa. “That letter was for information purposes only,” Crowder said Wednesday. “No one is talking about decreasing anyone’s salary. But we have to be the stewards of the public’s money. This is something we might consider in making future hires.” Senate Democrats on the Joint Budget Committee fired back Wednesday, saying DOC workers guard maximum-security prisoners while private prisons only handle lower security inmates. They said a “race to the bottom” mentality on salaries would make prisons less safe. State Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, said she was surprised by the GOP letter. “As we’ve tragically seen, these officers put their lives on the line in our prisons,” she said Wednesday. “I don’t know why the Senate Republicans want them working for lower pay.” She sponsored legislation this year allowing DOC workers more overtime. That bill passed on a near-party line vote. Crowder supported it because it also made the old Fort Lyon Correctional Facility into a housing program for veterans. State union officials said the new regulation lets DOC workers start receiving overtime after 12 hours on a shift. Under previous rules, they didn’t qualify until they’d topped 171 hours for the month. Republicans opposed the estimated $2.4 million price tag in higher DOC overtime. (Pueblo chieftan)
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 19:30:37 +0000
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