Correctional officers to get $3,000 bonuses in new contract, even if they left the job

PROVIDENCE — A newly announced four-year contract deal between the McKee administration and the union representing the state's correctional officers provides retroactive pay raises and $3,000 bonuses, regardless of whether the guards are still working for the state.

In response to an inquiry from The Providence Journal, the state's Department of Administration provided a copy of the "memorandum of tentative agreement" that promises:

"A one-time bonus of $3,000 to all bargaining unit employees employed at any time from July 1, 2020, to the date of ratification, regardless of whether the employee has separated from state employment since July 1, 2020."

Asked to elaborate, Department of Administration spokeswoman Laura Hart said the bonuses would be paid to all 1,042 bargaining unit members employed during the specified time period, even those who left state employment after July 1, 2020.

"Similarly, retroactive wage increases will be calculated and paid to any bargaining union member who separated from state employment from July 1, 2020, onward, in accordance with their date of separation," she added.

Of the 1,042 bargaining unit members, 913 are active employees and 129 have separated from their positions, Hart said.

It is unclear whether Democratic Gov. Dan McKee's administration gave bonuses to other former state workers after they had left the state payroll.

The $3,000 bonuses — akin to the "retention" bonuses McKee awarded Providence teachers in a state-negotiated contract, and then other unionized employees — came to light in a Friday afternoon news release announcing the settlement of the long-running contract dispute with the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers.

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Retroactive pay raises also in the contract

The new four-year contract, which ends June 30, 2024, provides 2.5% retroactive raises for 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as a 2.5% raise in July 2023.

"The contract also includes several provisions designed to support retention efforts, including moving the time needed for correctional officers to reach the top pay step from 20 years to 14 years; earning 2.5% increases at 25 and 30 years; and receiving a $3,000 bonus.

"To support recruitment, recruits will now be paid hourly wages" — equivalent to a $60,447 salary — "instead of a stipend while attending the training academy," the administration statement said.

The memorandum addresses other long-standing issues in a department that relies heavily on overtime for adequate staffing. It calls for:

"A rotating work week of ... [starting on July 1] four consecutive eight-hour, eight minute days followed by two consecutive days off. This work week shall apply to new Correctional Officer (Hospital) only and shall be voluntary for all other Correctional Officer (Hospital)."

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A statement from Wayne T. Salisbury, the acting director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, hailing the terms of the new contract, read:

“Correctional officers greatly contribute to public safety, and I am glad we were able to reach an agreement that reflects our appreciation for all their hard work and sacrifice. ... We want to attract more qualified candidates to join our ranks, and I think what we have put in place in this contract gets us closer than before to accomplish that."

Echoing those sentiments, union president Richard Ferruccio issued this statement: “We are glad that we were able to reach an agreement and that it addresses, in part, the serious recruitment and retention issues we have at the Department of Corrections.

"Because we have so many correctional officers eligible to retire now and in the near future, that effort must continue. We look forward to more improvements in order to ensure positive working conditions for all our members.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Contract with RI correctional officers: $3,000 bonuses, pay raises