On Capitol Hill
ACU Once Again Exerts Its Influence
Capitol Hill was abuzz with activity during National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.
On May 8, ACU members received a legislative briefing from Chuck Loveless, AFSCME’s legislative director. Loveless provided pointers on how to persuade members of Congress to support ACU’s legislative agenda.
On May 9, the Congressional Corrections Officers Caucus hosted a “Correctional Issues Forum” that focused on the dangerous and costly foray into prison privatization by state governments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Uniformed COs then attended a hearing held by the Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations. The subject: H.R. 1093, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 1999. The bill would require states that don’t have collective bargaining laws to permit uniformed personnel — including COs — to unionize. There are at least 240 co-sponsors of the bill. The ranking member of the subcommittee, Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-N.J.) noted the COs’ presence and thanked them for a job well done.
The hearing included testimony showing that, in states where management and employees work together to bargain over wages and working conditions, the delivery of public services improves.
In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, under Chairman Jim Jeffords (R-Vt.) will hold a hearing on S. 1016, that would also require states and local governments to allow collective bargaining rights for public safety officers. Again, AFSCME will submit a statement in support of the legislation. The hearing is scheduled for the end of June.
ACU members and colleagues participating in the week’s activities and lobbied with their members of Congress to enlist support on important corrections legislation. As a direct result of their hard work, four representatives immediately co-sponsored H.R. 979, the Public Safety Act, which prohibits further privatization of prisons. Congressional interest in the measure has grown ever since.
Other federal legislative issues lobbied:
H.R. 2594/S. 1865, Mental Health Diversion Courts — legislation seeking to divert the mentally ill to treatment instead of prison;
H.R. 218/S. 727, the Community Protection Act — exempting qualified law enforcement officers, including corrections personnel, from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons;
H.R. 1807/S. 726 — establishing a matching-grant program for states for the purchase of bullet-resistant equipment for COs; and
H.R. 282 — making the killing of a state CO a federal crime if it is committed while transporting an incarcerated person across state lines, or by a person who also is convicted of a federal offense.
The day ended fittingly in a tribute to COs at a congressional reception. At the event, members of Congress and ACUers held informal discussions on issues affecting the field. The sponsor of National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, Sen. Charles Robb (D-Va.), made a special appearance to congratulate COs for the outstanding job they perform in very difficult situations.
