By Nathan Clark
mlive.com
LANSING, Mich. — Correctional officers at Upper Peninsula facilities will not see their pay increased to match a recent raise offered to new hires amid ongoing union negotiations.
The Michigan Corrections Organization, the union representing state correctional officers, was in negotiations over matching pay increases when the Michigan Department of Corrections issued a press release on June 3 claiming the union had rejected its offer.
The release stated the union was offered a letter of agreement with the Michigan Department of Corrections that would increase wages of current employees at the five Upper Peninsula facilities.
The union found the press release misleading, stating no such letter ever existed.
“That news release was filled with misleading information and false statements,” Union President Byron Osborn said. “Late last week, the MDOC contacted MCO and stated that they were going to circumvent the negotiation process and unilaterally increase pay for new hires at just five prisons.”
MDOC recently announced new recruits at Marquette Branch Prison, Baraga Correctional Facility, Alger Correctional Facility, Kinross Correctional Facility and Chippewa Correctional Facility will earn an additional $10,000 a year, bringing their hourly wage to $28.24, up from the current rate of $23.45.
The facilities were selected based on current vacancy rates and their location in an area the department considers difficult for recruitment.
On May 29, MDOC was notified by the union that it would not support the increase, said Jenni Riehle, MDOC public information officer.
The union disputes that it formally rejected any offer.
The union was asked to consult with its bargaining team about a concept for a letter of agreement that would raise pay for a small number of recently hired officers at those five prisons to match the new hire rate. The union was then expected to follow up with MDOC for further discussion, Osborn said.
MDOC issued the press release stating the union rejected the offer before any decision was made by the union, Osborn said.
The union sent a response to the MDOC stating that the bargaining team was not in favor of an agreement that would only be in effect for five of the 26 state prisons and offered to have further discussion on the topic, Osborn said.
“To date, the MDOC has not responded to MCO, nor has any letter of agreement been created or offered,” Osborn said. “Contrary to what they are saying in their press releases, it is the MDOC that has unilaterally created an inequity in pay for its employees, not MCO.”
On June 3, 27 correctional officer recruits graduated from the Northern Region Training Academy and took their oath of office before transitioning to their respective Upper Peninsula facilities. Five of those facilities are in areas the state has designated as hard-to-recruit regions, Riehle said.
Though MDOC recently approved a $10,000-per-year pay increase for new correctional officers at those facilities, the 27 graduates are not eligible as they were hired before the increase was implemented.
“First and foremost, I want to congratulate the 27 new corrections officers in the John Ocweija class in the Northern Region. I sincerely appreciate the commitment, willingness to learn, and teamwork they have shown as they have trained at the academy. I know they will be incredible assets to their facilities,” MDOC Director Heidi Washington said.
“We urge the union to also assist their newest members at these five facilities as soon as possible by agreeing to raise all officers to a wage of at least $28.24 per hour. Doing so is in the best interest of those they represent, their families, and the facilities where these officers work,” Washington said.
The increase for new hires is part of the department’s Safe Prisons Initiative, which addresses prison safety through prisoner classification, contraband prevention, programming, training and recruitment efforts.
The department is recruiting for its next Northern Region Officer Academy, which begins July 20, 2026, in Kincheloe.
New hires will start at the increased rate immediately and receive eight weeks of paid training at the academy, followed by eight weeks of on-the-job training at their assigned facility.
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