PRESTON COUNTY, W.Va. — The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has notified members of government plans to cut special recruitment and retention pay. The move will affect 23,000 employees, and the union has asked the Trump administration to reconsider the decision.
National AFGE president Brandy Moore White released a statement saying in part,” These men and women go above and beyond every day to keep our institutions safe. Our members are working in extremely difficult and understaffed conditions. Removing or reducing retention pay is not just a financial blow, it’s a blow to morale. This decision is shortsighted and will only exacerbate the staffing crisis, leading to even more turnover, burnout, and instability in addition to additional funding to fill overtime for the vacant positions.”
Justin Tarovisky, president of AFGE Local 420, told WAJR News they have called the federal delegation and are working on the issue with their help. The retention bonuses range from 10 to 25 percent and began last fall after protests about staffing issues across the country.
“We’re trying to address this right now from the perspective of reaching out to our leaders in the U.S. Congress and Senate,” Tarovisky said. “Trying to get us back on track for what we’ve been approved for and what we should continue to receive.”
About 50 AFGE members staged a protest with a coffin on U.S. 119 in front of the Pierpont Center. Then, the prison was about 100 guards short due to a cumbersome hiring procedure, and several reports of violence were received. Tarovisky explained then that guards cannot be safe inside already dangerous prison facilities with inadequate staffing levels. The inmates they are required to guard can be the worst of the worst, serving decades behind bars with little chance to be released and no incentive to cooperate with the staff or fellow inmates.
“After we had a picket last year to notify the public that this was what we needed to retain our officers, that has now been reduced by half,”
Tarovisky said.
Because of the low staffing levels prior to the fall 2023 picket, officers were being “mandated.” A process where guards are forced to work mandatory overtime along with some untrained prison support staff in order to complete the shift.
“Officers were getting mandated four to five times a week and not allowed to go home,” Tarovisky said. “It was affecting everyone’s lives, and sometimes an incentive can help ease that pain, and we have not accomplished the mission.”
Tarovisky said this most recent cut is especially disappointing after the long, hard fight to streamline the hiring process.
“We have gone from being over 100 officers down to 80, and we have a class coming in of 20 officers, but we don’t know what they’re going to do now since they have cut the incentives,” Tarovisky said.
The retention cuts will hurt the veteran officers and possibly force some to reconsider their employment. Ending the special recruitment removes pay incentives to compete with local law enforcement agencies for new guards and support staff and will likely lead to a return of hiring struggles for all positions inside federal prisons.
“There are no incentives for new officers or hires within our medical professions, which are hard to fill because companies in the private sector are offering bonuses because it’s a field they’re short on.”