Corrections workers keep us safe. Let’s thank them.
During National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, which runs through May 10, let’s thank and recognize corrections workers for the risks they take on behalf of their communities.
“Correctional officers and employees are the unsung heroes of our justice system, keeping our communities safe day in and day out,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said.
“It’s tough, high-stakes work,” added Saunders. “One officer can be responsible for hundreds of incarcerated individuals in a single shift. Widespread staffing shortages, mandated overtime and dangerous working conditions take a toll on these selfless heroes and remind us why having the freedom to form a union and demand better workplace safety and fair compensation really matters.”
We also need to defend corrections workers’ rights and freedoms. Billionaires and corporate CEOs want to privatize correctional facilities and sell out our justice system, putting officers’ lives at risk while stripping away their voice on the job.
Through a new executive order, these anti-union extremists and billionaires want to funnel millions in federal contracts to private prisons and CEOs — while slashing the funding state facilities rely on. They want correctional officers to protect profits, not people, which would put the safety of entire communities at risk.
“We can’t stand by and let corporations sacrifice our communities and our safety so they can get richer,” warned Saunders. “This Corrections Week, it’s time to take action: Tell Congress to support our correctional officers with better pay, safer working conditions, and getting them the backup they deserve. From the bargaining table to the halls of government, that is our calling and that is our commitment.”
It’s not only corrections professionals who are under attack. All public service workers are being threatened by devastating federal budget cuts that are being proposed by anti-union extremists to pay for billionaire tax breaks.
If we want to fight for our corrections professionals, and the services they provide, we need to Get Organized. Learn more.