A Real Texas Brawl
During the bi-annual legislative assembly that ended in May, COs and their supporters from the Lone Star State rallied the troops to turn back an unexpected move by the Republican-controlled House and Senate: legislation seeking to privatize all the state’s prisons.
According to Brian Olsen, Council 7 executive director, if for-profit executives slither in and start managing facilities, workers will receive half the pay they get now and have no retirement, sick leave or vacation. The battle over the proposal became so contentious, Olsen says, that COs expended so much "energy, money and time fighting privatization that we weren’t able to push for any other type of legislation we wanted."
Council 7 members called or sent postcards, e-mails and letters to their representatives urging them to prevent privatization. The staff also encouraged officials from local Chambers of Commerce to force lawmakers to drop the scheme. "We put such fire on these Republicans that they had to go with us if they want to get re-elected," Olsen declares.
"The fact that we were able to kill privatization shows that, with 3,500 members, we have a lot more clout than people thought we had."
Despite overwhelming odds, Council 7 COs keep pounding away to gain respect from state politicians who are reluctant to give them decent pay and benefits for one of the toughest jobs in the nation.
Texas COs receive some of the lowest wages in the country, while enduring comparatively harsh working conditions. Since 1999, they have mobilized and started pressuring policy makers in Austin to recognize them as professional law enforcers and to improve the management of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Throughout Texas, word is getting out that Council 7 is steadily making headway in the state capitol in behalf of improved pay, benefits and security for its members. In four months, membership has risen from 3,000 to 3,500. "People became more aware this [legislative] session of what’s really going on politically than ever before," notes Olsen. "This is going to pay huge benefits two years from now in the next session."
Their groundbreaking grassroots lobbying efforts have earned them praise and support from Republicans and Democrats in the statehouse. On May 9 at the biennial legislative session that convened last spring, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R) introduced Resolution 833, which recognized Texas COs and AFSCME for their roles in improving efficiency and security of facilities within the criminal justice department. Olsen calls the resolution — which was delivered during National Corrections Officer Week — unprecedented for Texas corrections workers.
