Our Teamster brothers and sisters on Nov. 17 were protesting job and program cuts by the Washington State Department of Corrections. Said Local 117's secretary-treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson:
“These reductions, along with the State’s proposals in bargaining, are simply unacceptable. Our members work side-by-side with some of society’s most dangerous criminals. We will not stand idly by and allow the State to dismantle protections that help keep them safe.”
Local 117 also filed a lawsuit against the cuts, and the local news media is picking up the story.
The Everett Herald reported on Sunday
There's a razor-thin line between safe and sorry inside state prisons and Kimberly Nichols thinks it's getting crossed — in the wrong direction. She's the wife of a prison guard at Monroe Correctional Complex and she's been telling anyone who will listen how planned budget cuts will mean less pay and more risk for her husband...
...Convicted sex offenders will get less treatment before release. Education, counseling and chemical dependency programs will be scaled back. There'll be complete lockdowns at some prisons each month. New officers will get less training. There'll be fewer officers on patrol in kitchens where inmates can pocket implements for later use as a weapon.Watch a video of the action here.
