Unfairly excluded from assignment pay they deserved for the dangers posed by their work, nine WFSE DOC members took their case from grievance to arbitration and won.
After a hard fight, WFSE members received an arbitration opinion vindicating our nine Department of Corrections members who teach Defensive Tactics courses who had been unfairly excluded from receiving assignment pay.
They had been excluded from receiving assignment pay (an extra fifteen dollars per hour) for teaching these courses because the units they worked in did not qualify.
However, in November of 2021, these members were re-assigned out of the ineligible work units, and into new ones which were eligible for the pay. But still, DOC did not want to pay.
These courses — firearms, taser, self-defense, verbal tactics, and pistol maintenance — are physically demanding and involve exposure to health and safety dangers.
"The assignment pay is to ensure that we are getting desirable and effective trainers," said Lloyd DeShazer, a WFSE Local 1221 member and DOC Use of Force Specialist who was the lead grievant in this case.
"Our goal as a team is for staff to be trained to be able to go home at the end of the day safely."
It's critical work for keeping state employees safe on the job, and keeping our communities safe. Most of the officers DeShazer's team works with are in DOC's Community Corrections Division, but they also work with officers in the Prisons Division.
DeShazer also teaches at the Emergency Response Team (ERT) academy. ERT is the riot control team that works inside of prisons to take back portions of prisons, perform officer down rescues, and deal with hostage situations.
Back Pay Amounts to Tens of Thousands of Dollars
The nine members affected teach anywhere from 300-800 hours per year, so this award represents a possible backpay award per person of anywhere from $4,500 to $10,000 and eligibility going forward to continue receiving the pay.
In total, the Department of Corrections may owe these members between $40,500 and $90,000.
"I was extremely thankful for what our union provided," DeShazier said, "and especially the help of our WFSE Labor Negotiator."
Not a member of our union? Join here!
If you're a Corrections employee, you can find more information on WFSE Corrections bargaining, actions and more here.
These courses — firearms, taser, self-defense, verbal tactics, and pistol maintenance — are physically demanding and involve exposure to health and safety dangers.
"The assignment pay is to ensure that we are getting desirable and effective trainers," said Lloyd DeShazer, a WFSE Local 1221 member and DOC Use of Force Specialist who was the lead grievant in this case.
"Our goal as a team is for staff to be trained to be able to go home at the end of the day safely."
It's critical work for keeping state employees safe on the job, and keeping our communities safe. Most of the officers DeShazer's team works with are in DOC's Community Corrections Division, but they also work with officers in the Prisons Division.
DeShazer also teaches at the Emergency Response Team (ERT) academy. ERT is the riot control team that works inside of prisons to take back portions of prisons, perform officer down rescues, and deal with hostage situations.
Back Pay Amounts to Tens of Thousands of Dollars
The nine members affected teach anywhere from 300-800 hours per year, so this award represents a possible backpay award per person of anywhere from $4,500 to $10,000 and eligibility going forward to continue receiving the pay.
In total, the Department of Corrections may owe these members between $40,500 and $90,000.
"I was extremely thankful for what our union provided," DeShazier said, "and especially the help of our WFSE Labor Negotiator."
Not a member of our union? Join here!
If you're a Corrections employee, you can find more information on WFSE Corrections bargaining, actions and more here.
Related Content
The proposed closures would negatively impact those who are in most need of these services , result in increased recidivism (a 2007 study showed Washington’s reentry centers lead to at least a 2.8% reduction in recidivism), cost the state more money (research conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy indicates that reentry programs have a positive cost/benefit impact; for every dollar spent, $3.82 is returned to the state.), and threaten the capacity of our community custody system when the need for more capacity is rising.
On December 12th, DOC Leadership met with management for the Statewide Union Management Communication Committee (SUMCC).
Three union grievances, hundreds of letters, and a statewide petition result in $2k cash payment for all employees in 2023 and a retention bonus of 3% in 2024 for those deemed “essential” by DOC.
