PROVIDENCE, R.I.—About 1,000 Rhode Island prison guards who have been working without a contract for five years are getting a 13 percent pay increase as well as retroactive pay.
A three-member state arbitration panel this week awarded the raises to most members of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers.
The arbitration decision covers the period from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2006.
More negotiations are scheduled to address raises for the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years.
Union president Richard Ferruccio says he has mixed emotions about the decision. He thinks the guards should get the same pay as state police and deputy sheriffs.
He hoped the state might make up that pay difference in the next round of contract talks, despite the current fiscal crisis.
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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/
