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| Lawmakers: strike hurts inmates |
| By The Peoria Journal Star |
| Published: 06/16/2006 |
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CHICAGO, IL - Two Chicago lawmakers on Wednesday joined with striking employees of the Sheridan Correctional Center in urging Gov. Rod Blagojevich to intervene in a labor dispute at the drug-treatment prison. State Reps. William Delgado and Monique Davis, both Democrats, said the strike by nearly 50 counselors threatens the quality of intensive services offered to inmates at the LaSalle County facility. They warned that prisoners will not be prepared to re-enter society when they're released. The lawmakers and the union representing striking workers accuse Gateway Foundation Inc., a state contractor that provides the counseling programs, of not bargaining in good faith. "There is no excuse for this standoff," Davis said at a Chicago news conference held by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. "Gov. Blagojevich needs to act now to get this program back on track. Either Gateway should treat its employees fairly and bargain in good faith or it should be shown the door." Drug counselors and technicians at Sheridan unionized last year and began their strike June 6. Some of the workers have crossed the picket line, AFSCME Executive Director Henry Bayer said. "Frontline" staff members make an average of $28,000 per year - 45 percent less than their state-employed counterparts - and pay exorbitant health-care premiums, under their current terms of employment, Bayer said. Gateway's $14 million, three-year contract with the Illinois Department of Corrections expires at the end of December. Gateway President Michael Darcy said representatives of his not-for-profit organization have made offers to the union employees but added, "We're not willing to cave in." As negotiations continue, Darcy said, Gateway is meeting its state contractual obligations at Sheridan with a combination of employees who have crossed the picket line and managers. Also Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Human Services said allegations that Gateway cut programming at Sheridan in violation of state regulations were determined to be unfounded. DHS spokesman Tom Green said four compliance monitors and license specialists went to the prison Monday in response to complaints by AFSCME. The union claimed the number of inmates attending group therapy sessions exceeded the maximum of 20. "All the meetings (the investigators) sat in on unannounced had 20 inmates or less," Green said. The union also said patients might not be receiving the minimum nine hours of treatment a week, but the DHS investigators found they were getting about 15 hours a week, Green said. |
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