NO ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS!!!!!

I have been contacted by staff at SVSP who are reaching out to all of us, state wide, to help in what they perceive to be an attack on their livelihoods and ours just the same. I could not agree with them more.

It has been told to them that in a matter of weeks their Warden will present them with the plan to implement 12 hour shifts at their institution. The local Chapter President has gone to great lengths to find out information about this issue, yet, the department and her Warden both seem unable to present any real reason or understanding of the burden they are about to place on their own staff and their families alike.

Salinas Valley State Prison is a notorious Level 4 prison. Starting at Calipatria myself, there was one other joint that we heard about on a regular basis being as violent and dangerous for staff as ours, and it was in fact, SVSP. It would seem strange and somewhat irresponsible that anyone would want to start a "pilot" program, that will undoubtedly lead to staff exhaustion and family stress, at a place with such a propensity for absolute violence, but then, anything else would rely on common sense and as we all know such a thing is not a common virtue held by many in our departmental hierarchy.

Think about this my friends and partners. If they are willing to do it there, it will be at a prison near you in a matter of moments. A "pilot program" after a year in the world of Labor becomes policy and it would now seem that the department is attacking our future contract and provisions by enacting policy under a cloak of "cost savings" and "pilot programs".

What will this do to Post and Bid, vacation, holiday time, ITO, swaps, sick leave, overtime and a host of other things that allow us to somewhat control our existence in a job that is full of chaos and violence? Will you burn 8 hours of Sick Leave when you call in, or 12? What will you earn?

Most importantly to us all, at the very fabric of why we choose to walk behind the walls, what about our families? How will you arrange child care, school pick ups, sporting events and how many of you already commute quite a ways to work? What will that do to your time spent at home? We already sacrifice many of life's precious moments that I listed above, think about what you will sacrifice next?

If you fail to see the seriousness of what is about to take place at Salinas Valley then I would assert that you have no pulse. Not only do I feel that we are obligated to defend our Brothers and Sisters at SVSP, I cannot stress enough that this will in fact soon effect you and where you work. This "pilot program" will be set into policy and all of us, state wide, will feel the pain. Do not let this happen to them and at the very least (I would hope that you care more than this) defend them in order to defend yourselves.

The power of this state is in us! Everyone that sets "policy" works for us! The state may seem irreparably damaged but it is only because we have allowed those that think they control it to go to far and unchecked. I see this as a serious threat to our way of life. I also see it as a grand opportunity to step up, step out and make your voice heard through letters, phone calls and your eventual VOTE when by right, we as Californians and more specifically Correctional Peace Officers, DEMAND THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY AND STANDARD THAT WE ARE HELD TO EACH AND EVERY DAY WORKING THE TOUGHEST BEAT IN THE STATE!!!!

"That's the way it is" is befitting of losers and quitters. I know that is not what we are because in my short career I have worked with some of the bravest and most stubborn individuals I have ever met. It's going to be up to us to change it. The time is now and the direction is clear. DO NOT EXCEPT ANYTHING LESS THAN WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND DESERVE FOR ONE MORE DAY! Let's make this stop and effect positive change today for all of our tomorrows.


The following are the contacts for Salinas Valley's legislative representatives, I plead with each and every one of you to call and write them in the defense of your partners and yourselves. If anyone needs any other help finding the contacts for your own local's, just let me know. Lets see how much noise we can make. Hey, maybe another camping trip is in order.........

Assemblywoman Anna Caballero http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a28/

Senator Jeff Denham http://cssrc.us/web/12/contact_us.aspx


Ian Pickett
Sgt. KVSP