Current staffing shortages on the Cuyahoga County Jail have led to prolonged lockdowns and using National Guard members or different sheriff’s division officers to make sure satisfactory staffing.
When totally staffed, the jail ought to have 725 corrections officers, plus supervisory employees. Proper now, the jail is understaffed by near 100 officers.
Sheriff Christopher Viland, who oversees the county jail, mentioned the county is engaged on making the job extra enticing.
“The manager’s workplace and myself have had discussions with the corrections union and have supplied pay will increase and bonuses that had been turned down by the union,” Viland advised county council’s Public Security Committee Tuesday.
Viland became sheriff in March. In keeping with the union’s legal professional, Adam Chaloupka, the elevate was supplied in February.
“I’ll give the county credit score that they reached out to us they usually tried to do one thing,” Chaloupka mentioned.
The proposal was for an 88-cent per hour elevate, just for new hires, and one-time bonuses for different officers, Chaloupka, mentioned. However greater than half of the jail’s union have reached the highest finish of the pay scale there, which happens after six years on the job.
There have been no pay raises supplied for that group and a vote by union members is required to approve a rise.
“If these officers that labored there for years and years and years aren’t going to profit from this, properly, then the group just isn’t going to entertain this,” Chaloupka mentioned. “It needs to be honest to all people.”
He mentioned negotiations with the county are closed until the county comes again with a brand new supply. The the corrections officers union’s present contract runs via the tip of 2022.
Throughout Tuesday’s assembly, Councilman Michael Gallagher mentioned the county has to provide you with inventive concepts to maintain corrections officers on the job.
“I’m hopeful there’s one thing we will do in these negotiations to assist us out,” Gallagher mentioned. “Offering possibly stipends or retention bonuses to maintain new hires right here and possibly, on a structured foundation over a time frame, enhance these bonuses.”
Gallagher added that, once the new jail is built, the county is anticipating to wish fewer corrections officers than within the present jail due to design options meant to extend safety.
