Tennessee COs Win Seniority Bidding
November 23, 2010
More than 400 corrections officers and employees at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg – members of AFSCME Local 2173 – are hailing a recent agreement which provides seniority bidding in all areas of the facility. The state instructed Commissioner Gayle Ray of the Tennessee Department of Corrections (DOC) to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) over objections of the former warden who was promoted to deputy commissioner this year.
The agreement means COs and employees may now choose their preferred work shifts, days off and job assignments according to tenure. “It’s all about getting a fair shake and having dignity on the job,” says Local 2173 President Bill Shillings. “We were operating under no such agreement after we moved from the Brushy Mountain prison, which was shut down more than a year ago.”
But fighting for the MOU wasn’t easy. “The former warden wanted to bust our union and he kept stalling and spreading unfavorable statements about us,” recalls Shillings. “And with the midterm elections coming up, we couldn’t wait any longer and allow a hostile Legislature to stop us. So we flexed our political muscle and went to battle.”
Local members phoned and visited state representatives – mostly members of the Democratic Caucus – who then pressured the DOC to act promptly.
As it turned out, Local 2173 timed it perfectly. The November 2 elections returned the Statehouse to the Republicans, who also now control both chambers of the Legislature.
“We’re the only union in state government that was offered an MOU,” Shillings says proudly. “That’s because we’ve had a long history of fighting and winning.”
Today, the local maintains good relations with the newly appointed commissioner and warden who want to keep the union as the bargaining unit. Labor-management meetings are held regularly to deal with safety and other work-related issues.
Since the 1970s, Local 2173 has waged a tenacious battle against privatization attempts. After moving to their new facility, the COs won a major victory when Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) issued an order directing all new employees to be state workers. They have since increased the bargaining unit to 410 members, or 99 percent of the total workforce – a remarkable feat considering that Tennessee is a right-to-work state.
“The death of fellow CO Wayne ‘Cotton’ Morgan five years ago was the hardest thing we’ve had to deal with, but it has only strengthened our resolve,” Shillings adds. “These COs know that when they fight, they win.” Morgan, then treasurer of the local, was shot while escorting an inmate from a courthouse in Kingston. Afterward, Shillings led an effort to ensure that protective body armor is provided to COs assigned to transportation duty. Named after the slain officer, the Wayne Cotton Morgan Bulletproof Vest Act was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008.
