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Arizona Correctional Officers Sign Up 1,200 In Statewide Drive
A state regulation prohibiting union dues check-off was a big impediment to organizing for the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, one of 37 affiliates of the statewide Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs (AZCOPS/CWA Local 7077).
The correctional officers knew they needed a strong union to win better pay, better working conditions and respect as professional law enforcement officers. So, with the help of CWA’s National Coalition of Public Safety Officers, AZCOPS and two other CWA locals, they set about to make a state regulation work for them and to make membership easier.
Now, like most CWA members, they have their union dues deducted from their paychecks.
“Payroll dues deduction turned them from a 30-member group into a 1,200-member group,” said ASCOPS/CWA Local 7077 Staff Representative and lead organizer Tim Clark.
The potential for membership is much greater. There are 4,400 correctional officers in Arizona and, “Eventually we’re going to sign them all up,” Clark said.
The campaign started brewing 19 months ago, Local 7077 President Chuck Foy said. Correctional officers represented by two other unions came to him and expressed frustration with the level of service they were receiving. They were ready to come over to AZCOPS for the bargaining assistance, legal services and representation the local provides, and they became an AZCOPS affiliate.
But, said Foy, “they just couldn’t get off the ground, because they had no way to collect dues.”
The state requires that public worker labor organizations have at least 1,000 members to be granted payroll deduction. So organizers developed a campaign of collecting dues authorization cards requesting payroll deduction.
With assistance from NCPSO Director John Burpo and Correctional Officers President Mike Allison, they came up with a plan. Organizers Vivian McDonald from Local 7050 and Judy Brown from 7019 pitched in, along with AZCOPS police and deputy association leaders. Foy also gave special recognition to Maricopa County Deputy’s Association President Chris Gerberry, who worked full time on the campaign.
Organizers set up open-air tents at corrections units across the state, including Perryville, Lewis, Winslow, Springerville, Florence, Douglas and Yuma, and within three months collected 1,180 signatures.
“Everyone involved expended maximum effort and showed tremendous dedication to increasing CWA’s presence and strength in Arizona, and we had an amazing amount of support from internal leaders in all the units,” Foy said.
Chris Starr, a member of the Perryville Chapter and interim Correctional Officers vice president, gave up all of his vacation time to work on the campaign, Foy noted.
Campaigns continue at Tucson, Fort Grant and Globe state prisons.
The correctional officers knew they needed a strong union to win better pay, better working conditions and respect as professional law enforcement officers. So, with the help of CWA’s National Coalition of Public Safety Officers, AZCOPS and two other CWA locals, they set about to make a state regulation work for them and to make membership easier.
Now, like most CWA members, they have their union dues deducted from their paychecks.
“Payroll dues deduction turned them from a 30-member group into a 1,200-member group,” said ASCOPS/CWA Local 7077 Staff Representative and lead organizer Tim Clark.
The potential for membership is much greater. There are 4,400 correctional officers in Arizona and, “Eventually we’re going to sign them all up,” Clark said.
The campaign started brewing 19 months ago, Local 7077 President Chuck Foy said. Correctional officers represented by two other unions came to him and expressed frustration with the level of service they were receiving. They were ready to come over to AZCOPS for the bargaining assistance, legal services and representation the local provides, and they became an AZCOPS affiliate.
But, said Foy, “they just couldn’t get off the ground, because they had no way to collect dues.”
The state requires that public worker labor organizations have at least 1,000 members to be granted payroll deduction. So organizers developed a campaign of collecting dues authorization cards requesting payroll deduction.
With assistance from NCPSO Director John Burpo and Correctional Officers President Mike Allison, they came up with a plan. Organizers Vivian McDonald from Local 7050 and Judy Brown from 7019 pitched in, along with AZCOPS police and deputy association leaders. Foy also gave special recognition to Maricopa County Deputy’s Association President Chris Gerberry, who worked full time on the campaign.
Organizers set up open-air tents at corrections units across the state, including Perryville, Lewis, Winslow, Springerville, Florence, Douglas and Yuma, and within three months collected 1,180 signatures.
“Everyone involved expended maximum effort and showed tremendous dedication to increasing CWA’s presence and strength in Arizona, and we had an amazing amount of support from internal leaders in all the units,” Foy said.
Chris Starr, a member of the Perryville Chapter and interim Correctional Officers vice president, gave up all of his vacation time to work on the campaign, Foy noted.
Campaigns continue at Tucson, Fort Grant and Globe state prisons.