COLUMBUS, Ohio — An arbitrator ruled on Monday that correction officers across Ohio will not receive additional hazard pay for working through the pandemic.
The ruling released on Monday comes after the officers’ union sued the state, alleging breach of contract. According to the union, the state was suppose to pay officers an additional $8 an hour during the pandemic due to a clause in a collective bargaining agreement.
“The state has the ability to pay essential employees right now for their role in the pandemic under the American Rescue Plan. These employees should be rewarded not punished by management and the administration,” said the organization’s union president, Chris Mabe.
“Even though management may think this is a win, it’s a loss for everyone. Essential employees are the backbone of the State of Ohio.”
In negotiations, the state allegedly offered each employee a one-time payout of $16,000 or more than 200 comp time hours, according to numerous correction officers who contacted the Guardian. Union representatives said those claims are not true.
Officers ended up receiving $2 an hour more during the pandemic, which was retroactive several weeks.
The decision on Monday did not settle well with the thousands of frontline workers who protect the state’s most violent offenders.
The state did not return a request for comment for this story. The union says their own lawyers are exploring their options, including filing a motion to vacate the judgement in Court.
This article has been updated to clarify the state’s settlement offer.
