CCPOA Regional Headquarters in Sacramento

The Issue: The California Correctional Peace Officers Association dropped their efforts to recall California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger citing that they want to focus their attention to the California Ballot.  They have even developed a list of endorsements for candidates and propositions.  The union also noted that it would not be worth their time to recall the Governor just a few months before he would be leaving office.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association “represents the more than 30,000 correctional peace officers working inside California’s prisons and youth facilities, and the state’s parole agents who supervise inmates after their release.”  They have been at odds with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the past few years over his refusal to negotiate a higher wages.  Schwarzenegger cites the state budget crisis as his reasoning for not considering increases to their contract, which expired in 2006.

Last Month, the CCPOA announced they would be commencing recall procedures for the governor who himself came into office as the result of a recall.

Yesterday, the CCPOA announced it would not be continuing there effort to recall the Governor.

Analysis: The recall never had a chance.

Independent surveys last month reported that voters of all political affiliations opposed a recall of Schwarzenegger by 2 to 1.  I would have been surprised to see they had collected enough signatures to put the item on a ballot.

The voters clearly saw through this half-hearted attempt to force Arnold to negotiate.  It isn’t that Arnold wasn’t being reasonable.  The recall announcement came while the state was considering a $15 billion budget deficit.  Even the most idealistic voters or the most faithful to the prison worker lobby had to see that now is not the time to ask for more money.

The recall of Gray Davis had the legitimate support of most voters because of his lack of leadership during the power crisis which effected every consumer in the state, voting or not voting.  Californians as a whole probably don’t even know the CCPOA exists, let alone are affected by the negotations for prison worker pay.