I'm a public employee. I work for the State of Wisconsin. I've been a Correctional Officer for 30 years. I have attended six days of protests in Madison and a rally/march in Waupun as well.
On February 26th, I stood at the corner of Mifflin and Wisconsin from about 3:15 to 5:00 pm as we CO's gathered for our second march of the day. It was cold and snowing. A river of humanity flowed around the block. Nobody got arrested, no violence, it was all very civil. All these people, mostly from Wisconsin but some from other states, were turning out to help protect our collective bargaining rights. As they passed, many shouted thanks for our service to the public. Some stopped to shake our hands. At the earlier march, my daughter and son-in-law had marched with us. When we parted, your big tough CO was in tears. I told my kid that in 30 years of public service, I had never felt so appreciated by my fellow citizens.
It's been a long, strange ride and today I asked for my walking papers. My application for retirement should arrive in the mail in 4 to 6 weeks. I would have stayed a few years longer but the government I work for is in the process of kicking me to the curb.
In addition to being a cockroach, a leech, a slob and a union thug, I am also replaceable. They will replace me with a rookie officer who I'm sure is a decent, sincere fellow who wants to do a good job. He is willing and probably able but he is green as grass and the list of things he doesn't know about working in Corrections grows and grows.
This is what I know:
For the last nine years, I have served as the Control Center Sergeant at a maximum security prison that houses about 1600 offenders. I lead a crew of two other officers in managing movement and communications within the institution and with the outside world.
We control access to the inner perimeter and movement between the housing units, food service, outside and inside recreation areas, health services, infirmary, chapel and social services to name just a few.
We dispense and keep track of keys, walkie-talkies, handcuffs and a variety of other tools our staff needs to do their jobs.
We monitor 166 surveillance cameras on 11 DVR's.
We also monitor the body alarm system that protects our civilian employees.
On any given day in the Control Center, you will probably find me serving as the radio dispatcher for about 130 security staff transmitting on 10 separate channels, directing emergency first responders, arranging security escorts for a myriad of visitors including chapel volunteers, judges, attorneys, detectives and parole officers.
As the Control Center Sergeant, I am the primary trainer for all the systems I mentioned above. (There are some other security systems and tools that I am not at liberty to speak about in public.)
I have an excellent, veteran crew backing me up. Haze, Carlos (not their real names) and I get the job done but I'll admit that sometimes handling all these duties resembles a three-person circus juggling act.
Like most Wisconsin CO's, I work on five out of every seven weekends with no regard for national holidays or religious sabbaths. Most of the posts in our joint are manned 24-7. We have ample opportunuties to work overtime, so ample in fact, that oftentimes the Shift Captain will have to order the most junior officers to work double shifts or even come in on their scheduled days off. At some Wisconsin prisons it is not unusual for a new officer to go for months without a day off, working doubles and wondering why they took this crazy job. The high stress level and punishing hours lead to high turnover. Those who stick it out pay a price. The strain on one's health and personal relationships is brutal. Well over half of the CO's I know have been divorced at least once and four of them have committed suicide.
Haze, Carlos and I have a combined total of over 80 years of experience in our field. As hectic and stressful as it sounds, working in the Control Center is considered one of the better jobs in the prison. Our union-negotiated seniority rights guarantee that the best jobs go to officers who have paid their dues working doubles in the housing units, the rec yard, the chow hall and the adjustment center.
Before I worked in the prison, I had two years of college but no degree and my previous jobs included working in machine shops, harvesting potatoes, hot tar roofing and, yes Wisconsin, working in a cheese factory. The Department of Corrections (DOC) prefers to hire Officer Trainees who have a high school diploma or GED, but don't strictly require it.
When I started my Corrections career in 1981, the job paid six bucks per hour with health insurance,four weeks of vacation & personal holidays per year, eleven paid sick days plus an excellent pension plan. It was by far the best job I had ever had. I was married with one child and damn near broke. When there was any money for gas I drove a '72 ford Maverick that had no heater and rust holes in the floor. I had been laid off with no unemployment benefits. My pitiful savings were exhausted and I had a wife and new baby to support. I was a beaten man. The job saved me and I will never forget it.
30 years, two more kids and a bachelor's degree later. My situation is much better.
Because of the Union-negotiated wages and benefits, I can clean-up reasonably well:
Don't let the cheap suit fool ya, I'm still a slob because Glen Grothman says so.
Here's my brood of cockroaches. Yeah, they clean up pretty well too, but don't be fooled, they're all cockroaches because Rushbo said so:
That guy sitting on the left, the cockroach who fathered me. He's a union thug and his father was a union thug too. Be careful of him, he might just bump into you with his walker.
While we are talking about union thugs, here's a picture of me with one of my union-thug pals:
Here's some more union thugs and leeches:
Governor Walker is eager to replace all the leeches with one big private-sector leech called Dunbar Security. I'm cashing it in because the Governor believes that he will get better value from Dunbar. Good luck with that.
Scott Walker is the sixth Governor I've worked for. Some were better than others but Dreyfus, Earl, Thompson, McCallum and Doyle were all willing to sit down and negotiate with the union. We agreed to many contracts with no raise at all, just to protect our retirement and health insurance. Under Doyle, we started paying in on the insurance, took no raise and agreed to 12 unpaid furlough days. For that we are leeches, thugs, cockroaches and slobs.
I wish I could say that you will be hearing more from me when I've retired, but I'll be busy looking for another job to pay for my health insurance. I'm very fortunate to have a pension at all and for that I am thankful to the taxpaying citizens of Wisconsin.
End of report.
Yours,
Sgt. ruleoflaw.
Updated by ruleoflaw at Wed Mar 2, 2011, 04:48:57 PM
Jeez. Rec list. First time.
Thank you.
Updated by ruleoflaw at Wed Mar 2, 2011, 11:43:49 PM
I am overwhelmed by all the kind words and best wishes.
My family and fellow CO's deserve all your praise. On their behalf, I thank you.