THOMSON, Ill. — Several workers at FCI Thomson said they're struggling after a retention bonus has been taken away.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has paid the retention bonus since Sept. 2021, adding 25% to each paycheck. However, the Bureau announced in Dec. 2023 it would cut the extra pay.
"I have four kids, a husband and we fully depend on this job," employee Kimberly Overcash said. Overcash has worked at FCI Thomson as a correctional officer for two and a half years. "It had made it difficult for us to get groceries, because we had a pay cut, plus inflation."
Overcash said competitive pay is what drew her to the job, but losing the retention pay among stagnant wages could drive her away. "It has forced me and my family to talk about possibly moving for a better paying job, or to even leave the Bureau altogether for another paying job," she said.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons told News 8 the following statement:
"The 25% OPM group retention incentive was approved based on the mission and security level of the institution. With the recent mission change to FCI Thomson, the conditions no longer warrant support of the 25% group retention incentive."
Alexander Chadwick, a sports specialist employee of over six years, expressed confusion. "I expected to keep it. Especially when I heard the director ask Congress for more money and pay for our officers."
In Nov. 2023, the Bureau director Colette Peters did talk about employment at a GOP hearing. "Our officers do not get paid enough. We have trouble keeping them. State corrections will offer higher salaries than what we pay," Peters said.
"It's actually very frustrating because they're not working with the lawmakers," AFG Local 4070 union president Jon Zumkehr said.
According to Zumkehr, the prison has 390 workers and needs around 80 more to be fully staffed. "We're calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to step up and protect these union jobs here at Thomson," he said.