Union Won’t Fight Inmate Work Crews Prisoners May Be Back To Work Cleaning River Bank Next Week

The city’s largest union dropped its objections Thursday to using convicts for maintenance work in Spokane’s Riverfront Park.

Prisoners could be back to work cleaning the river bank and trimming trees as early as next week.

“We’re satisfied with what’s going on,” said Randy Withrow, the union’s staff representative. “We’ll give it a try. It’s subject to review by the Park Board in 60 days.”

Pete Fortin, the city’s Finance Director, told the City Council the union “understands we’re not taking work away from the bargaining unit.”

City officials sat down with union leaders Thursday afternoon to discuss letting convicts work in the park.

Six inmates worked two weeks in late June for $1 an hour each - plus $13.53 per hour for one corrections officer.

The city suspended use of the prison work crew earlier this month when the union raised several questions about the plan, Fortin said.

Besides concerns about whether the convicts were taking union jobs, the union pointed out the city didn’t have a signed contract with the prison, he said.

“There was miscommunication,” Fortin said. “The contract didn’t get through legal or personnel (departments). We didn’t have a signed contract.”

Inmates from the Spokane County Jail work at the city’s garbage transfer stations, but that didn’t happen until after an agreement with the union, Fortin said. The Parks Department hadn’t discussed using convicts with the union prior to putting the crews to work.

, DataTimes