We have reached final agreement with the State regarding wage increases and all targeted range increases for our Department of Corrections members for the 2025-2027 biennium. 

As you may recall, the arbitrator awarded a general wage increase of 4% effective July 1, 2025 and 4% effective July 1, 2026 for all members of the bargaining unit. In addition, the arbitrator set aside a funding pool, equaling 2% in each year of the biennium, for classification-specific increases. He directed the Union and State to negotiate over how that funding would be allocated.

Over the last three months, we have negotiated with the State over the additional funding. Last week, we reached a final agreement.  

FINAL WAGE INCREASES FOR 2025-2027

The agreement includes higher general wage increases in both years of the biennium for all members of the bargaining unit as well as range increases for dozens of classifications.

With the agreement, all DOC Teamsters will now receive a minimum 5.89% increase effective July 1, 2025 and a 4.07% increase effective July 1, 2026. In addition, a number of classifications will receive range increases over the biennium. 

The bargaining committee focused on targeted range increases for a small number of classifications that were substantially behind the market, had serious trouble recruiting and retaining employees, or who had not received a targeted range increase in several years.

You can view the final agreement listing those classifications and their negotiated range increases here.

For this result, we owe tremendous thanks to members on our Union Negotiations Committee and to the members who testified at the arbitration hearing. It's also important to acknowledge the many Teamsters who fought for years to achieve interest arbitration rights for correctional workers in State law.

Without our Union protections and interest arbitration rights earned through our collective lobbying and advocacy efforts, we would have been stuck with a 2% increase over two years, which was the State's Last, Best, and Final offer. All of you deserve so much more.