The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) is currently experiencing difficulty recruiting and retaining Security Unit employees (collectively referred to as Corrections Officers in this Letter of Understanding) at MDOC correctional facilities.  The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is currently experiencing difficulty recruiting and retaining Forensic Security Assistants at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.  The security unit is comprised of Correction Medical Officers, Correction Medical Unit Officers, Corrections Officers, Corrections Resident Representatives, Corrections Security Representatives, Corrections Transportation Officers, Forensic Security Assistants, and Special Alternative Incarceration Officers hereinafter referred to as Corrections Officers or Forensic Security Assistants.  In light of these difficulties the parties agree to establish a pilot recruitment and retention payment program for Corrections Officers and Forensic Security Assistants.

The Pilot Program will begin on January 9, 2022 and will end with the payment made for pay period ending January 7, 2023.  The goal of the pilot program is two-fold: attract and retain Corrections Officers and Forensic Security Assistants for long term employment with the MDOC and DHHS, respectively, and maximize the number of hours worked to maintain operational stability.

To be eligible for pay at the overtime rate the Corrections Officer must physically work the Holiday(s) as defined in Article 18.  By working on the Holiday the Employer agrees to compensate employees at the premium rate of time and one-half (1 ½) times their “regular rate of pay”, irrespective of the leave used in that pay period.

This Letter of Understanding is effective upon approval of the Civil Service Commission.  The parties agree to meet to evaluate the effectiveness of the program upon completion of the pilot.  The parties may mutually agree to extend the pilot program if the employing agency finds the goals of the pilot program have been met and the extension is approved by the Civil Service Commission.

For the Union                                            For the Employer