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| Corrections officers object to budget cuts |
| By michiganmessenger.com |
| Published: 06/27/2011 |
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Those who work in Michigan’s prison system say that Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget for next year, which includes more than $70 million in cuts to the Department of Corrections, targets them unfairly and increases the risks of their already dangerous jobs. Tom Tylutki is president of MCO-SEIU Local 526M, the union that represents 7500 officers within the corrections system. He says that the cuts that corrections is taking is disproportionate to the rest of state employees. “In all his wisdom he makes a decision that out of the $145 million [in total state employee concessions] we’re going to have corrections officers give $72 million of that. There are 7700 of us in the state of Michigan and there are 42 thousand state employees,” said Tylutki in an interview with Michigan Messenger. “That’s disrespectful for the tough job that corrections officers do day-in and day-out protecting the public and people inside the prison.” Sacha Crowley, Communications Specialist with the MCO, also commented on the heavy cuts to corrections. “So while we make up 16% of the state employee workforce we’re being asked to shoulder 50% of the concessions. The only reasoning we’ve been told is that it is because the DOC is where the money is — where the state spends mostly general fund dollars,” said Crowley. “We’ve given concessions several times since 2003.” Tylutki said on average each prison has had to cut patrol officers from all three shifts — morning, day and night. According to Tylutki, having to make the concessions will mean putting officers in greater danger. “We have prisons that come in with a third shift with 18 officers with 1400 inmates, how do you like those odds?” Read More. |
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