The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 4070 on Thursday called upon the Biden Administration to fulfill its promise to public safety union workers and to affirm support for the Bureau of Prisons to restore the 25% retention pay cut to line-level workers at the Thomson prison.

The federal penitentiary has a current deficit of 81 employees, with an additional 15 forecasted departures in the coming weeks, according to an AFGE release. One member recently warned congressional leaders that they “…can’t afford to drive an hour and work there for that much of a pay cut. I love Thomson, but I’m going to have to make some changes.”

Thomson staff learned last month that the retention pay employees have received since 2022 would be discontinued at the end of December, resulting in a major pay cut just after the holidays.

“Christmas is right around the corner and staff are getting a 25 percent pay cut at Christmas time,” Jon Zumkehr, president of AFGE Local Union 4070, said last month, calling the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons “the Grinch that stole Christmas from the staff at Thomson.”

“To make matters worse, BOP Director Peters’ has continued to keep the retention pay program for managerial staff, creating an unjust, two-tier system that feeds low morale,” Zumkehr said Thursday of the Bureau of Prisons’ leader, Colette S. Peters, appointed in August 2022.

“The director has consistently testified to Congress that these retention pay programs are necessary to keep officers and our federal prison system safe,” the union leader said. “Yet her refusal to work with our union and her targeted pay cuts for union members creates a pattern of anti-union, anti-worker bias that should not be ignored.”

“The Biden-Harris administration gave us Director Peters. She is a direct appointee of Attorney General Garland, and it is past time for the president and his administration to make good on their commitment to public safety and officer safety for federal career union members serving at FCI Thomson,” Zumkehr said.

“Our members thank Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, Congressman Sorensen, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, and AFGE President Kelley for their support and hope that AG Garland and President Biden will do the same,” the release said.

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