Monroe County Corrections Officers Fight for Safety in the Workplace

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Scott(305) 642-6255

Workers File for Impasse with PERC Following Six Months of Negotiations
May 6, 2008

(Miami, FL) – Representatives of Teamsters Local 769 in Miami, Florida filed for impasse today with the Florida Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) on behalf of nearly 100 Monroe County corrections officers after six months of unsuccessful negotiations.

The union and sheriff’s department began negotiations in November 2007 after PERC certified Local 769 as the unit’s bargaining representative in September of that year. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement because of unreasonable staffing changes and cuts proposed by the sheriff’s appointed bargaining committee.

“These corrections officers work in an environment that is inherently dangerous,” said Mike Scott, President of Teamsters Local 769. “But instead of taking steps to improve safety in the facility, the sheriff’s department is making ill-advised demands that could compromise the precautions already in place.”

These demands include cutting staffing in the most dangerous block of the Monroe County Jail called the ‘Alpha Unit’, an area that houses violent offenders including murderers and rapists. The sheriff’s committee has also demanded that a key position in the control center of the jail be manned by cheaper, less experienced civilian personnel rather than a certified corrections officer.

“We have made multiple proposals designed to offset any costs associated with keeping these positions as they stand, but the committee refuses to even consider them,” Scott said. “Ensuring the safety of these workers is our primary concern. Frankly, it’s disconcerting that the sheriff’s department doesn’t share our concern.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.