Corrections officers and sergeants on Friday voted overwhelmingly to approve a proposed collective bargaining contract, Mayor Linda Gorton said.
Gorton brought the proposed contract to the Urban-County Council today for its consideration. The Council voted to put the contract “on the docket,” which triggers a first reading on Thursday.
“The contract provides significant wage increases to all sergeants and officers,” Gorton said. The total additional cost of the proposals is about $10 million over the life of the contract.
“We hope this contract will help relieve staffing concerns,” Gorton said. The jail has lost 120 corrections officers since last January, and officers are weary from working overtime. There are currently 167 corrections officers. When fully staffed the jail has 278 officers.
“I have heard from Corrections officers that staffing is the most critical concern at the jail, and that the best way to improve retention and recruitment is to increase pay,” Gorton said. “Officers have written to me, and to the Council, and spoken out at Council meetings about staffing concerns.” Local jails around the country, and Kentucky state prisons are facing similar issues with hiring and retention.
Features of the proposed contract include:
- 2-year agreement (January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023)
- All members will see $7,365 added to their base salary
- New officers will earn $20 an hour to start
- At the start of the second year of the contract (January 1, 2023), additional 3% pay increase
- Up to a $3,000 lump sum payment per member in lieu of making the contract retroactive to 2019
- $1,000 incentive for bringing in a new recruit
- A quarterly incentive of $750 for an officer, $1200 for a sergeant, for working at least 147 hours overtime in a three-month period
The jail contract is the second collective bargaining agreement the administration has resolved since October.
