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News :: Miscellaneous |
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AFSCME Takes 16,500 Signatures to Support Paris Work Camp to Springfield |
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by AFSCME
(No verified email address) |
23 Aug 2002
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Members of AFSCME Local 2052 from the Ed Jenision Work Camp in Paris will travel to Springfield Monday August 26, 2002 to deliver over 16,500 signatures on petitions to the Governor protesting the closure of the Paris facility. |
Members of AFSCME Local 2052 from the Ed Jenision Work Camp in Paris will travel to Springfield Monday August 26, 2002 to deliver over 16,500 signatures on petitions to the Governor protesting the closure of the Paris facility. During the spring budget battle the governor along with the help of the Republican controlled senate was successful in sustaining the Governor's amendatory veto of the budget thus causing the closure of the Paris Work Camp along with several other Department of Corrections facilities around the state.
AFSCME Local 2052 Union Representative Rick Depratt stated, "We hope the Governor realizes the impact the closure of the Paris Work Camp will have on the communities in this area. Last year alone over 60,000 hours of community service man hours were provided within a seventy-mile radius of Paris. Many of those communities, including Paris received a substantial monetary benefit from the work performed by our public works crews. Paris alone saved over $80,000 from the work performed by these crews. Closing this Work Camp is much more than laying off the 82 people that work here, it will cost communities thousands of dollars to replace the services provided by our public work crews." Depratt went on to say, "The Work Camp has the ability to send out eight public work crews every day. Most are staffed with an eight-man crew and they travel in every direction each morning performing public service projects all over east central Illinois." Finally, "Depratt expressed his sincere appreciation for the expression of support shown by the people that signed our petitions, it is clear to us the people of this area support the work we do here."
A handful of AFSCME Local 2052 members, all employees from the Paris Work Camp, and an AFSCME Council 31Representative will deliver the petitions to the Governors press office in Springfield at 9:45 A.M. on Monday August 26, 2002. Jerry L. Wright, Staff Representative with AFSCME Council 31 said, "Our members hope the Governor and the Republican caucus in the Senate will find a way to repeal their misguided decision to close the Ed Jenision Work Camp and other Department of Correction facilities around the state." Wright also pointed out that the Work Camp was named in honor of Ed Jenision, who was a long time Republican Party Chairman in Edgar County. Wright said, "I am sure Mr. Jenision would not be real happy with what our Republican Governor and Republican controlled Senate have done to his community." |
