By Tom Eldred,
Delaware State News
DOVER - A six-week protest by Delaware correctional officers came to a halt - at least for a day - on Tuesday as officers agreed to work all 17 voluntary overtime shifts offered by the Department of Correction for court and transport work.
For the first time since the protest began July 26, DOC reported inmate transports were completed as scheduled except for four that were canceled because of a mix-up.
Cpl. Paul Smith, a court and transport officer in New Castle County who helped orchestrate the mass voluntary overtime refusals, said he asked officers to begin taking overtime again after union officials from the Correctional Officer's Association of Delaware addressed rank and file during two meetings Thursday.
"Officially, I called an end to our thing last night after the meeting,'' Cpl. Smith said Friday.
"I think we have the state's attention in getting these issues resolved. Let's give the union and the state a chance to get these things worked out.''
Elizabeth Welch, a DOC spokeswoman, said 165 transports were made Tuesday, including 143 to courts statewide, along with 20 transfers, one medical run and one new commitment.
She said three court transports were canceled in New Castle County and one in Sussex County due to a "scheduling glitch.''
Officers said the voluntary overtime refusals were a protest of long-simmering pension issues, low pay and inadequate staffing that resulted in even more dangerous working conditions.
Without enough personnel to complete daily transports, hundreds of inmate court appearances were canceled and rescheduled in Kent, Sussex and New Castle counties.
The protest got the attention of state officials, including Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who promised an extra 5 percent salary hike for correctional officers effective Jan. 1, 2005.
Meanwhile, a diverse group of state officials and labor representatives has been meeting to come up with recommendations on how to implement portions of a September 2003 task force report on correctional officer compensation, benefits and pension issues.
A final report to the state legislature is due by Nov. 15.
COAD president Allan Deal and senior vice president David Knight did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Post comments on this issue at newsblog.info/0407.
Senior writer Tom Eldred can be reached at 741-8212 or at teldred@newszap.com.
