We want to congratulate Founding President/Executive Director Gary Gross on his retirement. During his time here, at MOCOA , he has fought for and accomplished many milestones.

Gary successfully negotiated the following:

• Shift differential
• Overtime pay bill
• Flex time lawsuit of 2014
• First labor agreement 2004
• Largest pay raise in DOC history at 8% for all custody staff

The above are just a few of his accomplishments over the 20 years Gary headed MOCOA.

We also want to congratulate Tim Cutt on his new appointment to Director. Tim has been with MOCOA for the past 11 years as the Grievance/Recruiting Officer. Tim has big vision moving forward with MOCOA. In the coming months you will see changes in leadership strategies. Some of these changes will include:

• More visible presence around your facility
• Active presence at the Capitol (send us your ideas)
• Training opportunities for CO staff

During this transition we appreciate your patience and any input for betterment of your MOCOA. Tim is looking forward to hearing your ideas/concerns/how to improve your degree of quality and standards in your working environment.

-R. Murphy

This message is to our members and non-members working in the Department of Corrections as Corrections Officers.

Listen UP!  This Association is the only barrier between you and total domination by the Department management. I have served as the director of this Association for the past nineteen years and have never seen our officers suffer as much as they are now under this current Administration. Between the abuse of authority, being overworked, understaffed and underpaid it’s becoming an untenable situation for many, as the high turnover rate reflects.

Fact is the Department is doing everything they can do to put your Association out of business. They are doing things like blocking us from going to the basic training classes to recruit new membership, arbitrarily canceling dues of auxiliary members as well as dragging their feet on negotiations of a new work agreement. These issues have led to us filing yet another lawsuit against the Department. (19AC-CC00280)

Whether the Department likes it or not, we are STILL the official bargaining unit for corrections officers and Sergeants. Anyone telling you different either doesn’t know, has been misinformed or is lying to you.

Unfortunately, the Department has full support of the Governors and Lieutenant Governor’s offices to treat Corrections Officers as they please. Know full well these issues are being experienced by every union in the state. Thank goodness next year is an election year and an opportunity for all state employees to right the ship for what these politicians have done to state employees over the last few years.

Please take time to add up the losses to state employees benefits over the last five years, from the lack of pay increases to health insurance cost to the cost of retirement put on new employees. These same people are the ones responsible for these benefit losses. They wanted to make you “at will employees” time to make them at will.

Your membership in this Association is more important than ever to fight the fight for you. Get in touch with your institutional representative or give us a call at our office to inquire about becoming a member. HELP US HELP YOU! (Phone 866-346-6262 for more information)

Thanks for your support:  Gary Gross MOCOA Director