Teamsters Claim Florida's Failing to Properly Pay Corrections Officers

The Teamsters Union has filed a federal labor complaint on behalf of corrections officers, claiming unpaid wage violations, as a vote looms with the police union over who will represent the officers.

The complaint alleges officers are not fairly paid for the time they begin to pick up equipment at the correctional institute to when they check in, which ranges from 15 to 30 minutes a day.

When you multiply it over a years period (of) time, we think well have situations where individuals have worked over 200 hours a year and havent been properly compensated, said Michael Filler, director of the Teamsters Public Service Division, addressing the media at the Florida Press Center.

Were also asking for Governor Rick Scott to stop the wage theft. He can direct the Department of Corrections and secretary to immediately cease violating the law and require all work being performed by correctional officers and others to (be) properly compensated by federal and state law.

Filler added that the union has determined that the failure to follow wage-and-hour regulation practices has occurred at many prisons in the state.

The spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Corrections declined to comment, saying they have yet to see the complaint.

Gov. Rick Scotts office was not immediately available for comment.

State corrections officers begin voting Oct. 18 on who will be their collective bargaining representatives. The choices include the Teamsters, the PBA and even no union. The results of the vote will be released around Nov. 17.