The Oklahoma Public Employees Association not only meets with members during working hours but also after the sun goes down. Unable to arrange meetings on facility grounds, OPEA Membership Representative Rick Allen recently met with HMCC staff to discuss facility issues.
Staff at the Howard McLeod Correctional Center is staying in the forefront.
“Bill Harrington is a 20-year veteran of the Department of Corrections and just recently joined the Oklahoma Public Employees Association,” said Allen. “Bill has thought for a long time that he was a member of OPEA. However, after checking Bill found that he wasn’t an OPEA member and quickly joined.”
“I joined OPEA for what it has done for my co-workers over the past three months,” Harrington said. “OPEA accomplished getting jobs back and suspension reduced after an I.A. investigation went awry. OPEA is an avenue that links resources together which enables us to come together for the betterment of all state employees,” he added.
Clint Holland, Kevin Angel, Mark Finch, Richard Pugh and Steve Walker also attended the evening meeting held in Atoka, Oklahoma.
“We started out on a mission last October with an objective” said Mark Finch. “We have come a long way but our mission is not over. I gave my word that until every last officer that had been disciplined was taken care of that I would keep pursuing a resolution. I plan to keep my word.”
“The Mediation Team which was developed last October by the HMCC staff has not dissolved. Together with Mark Finch, Bill Harrington, Justin Humphrey and C.T. Hurd, we are still very determined to have this Team succeed,” said Kevin Angel. “In fact we are in the process of setting dates and times for a new meeting. This Mediation Team set out with an idea of administering a new concept in which staff could assist in resolving internal agency’s issues. This Team feels we are at the forefront of making history. We must at this point and time continue working on our goal,” Angel said.
If you are not an OPEA member join today, and if you are a member make sure to talk to your co-workers about the benefits of membership.
