LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Saturday, the Fayette County Detention Center had a job fair. This came after the union that represents jail employees issued a no confidence vote in the management at the jail.
The union said jail employees are working "unreasonable overtime" and more than 10 percent of front-line employees have left within the past 10 weeks.
Now, Lexington is responding to the union's complaints and jail leaders said they're working to hire corrections officers fast.
Union leaders have described 16 hour days, which have allegedly caused dangerous work conditions.
They released a statement and survey of employees Friday with multiple complaints, including:
- Unreasonable overtime demands
- Failures to address officer retention issues
- A troubling pattern of retaliation and discipline
On Saturday, jail leaders held their first annual job fair.
Steve Haney is the director of the division of community corrections and he said he hopes to find a new recruiting class here, about 40 new hires, which can take some of the strain off current employees.
Haney would not address the concerns brought up by the union, but pointed LEX 18 to the city's statement, which reads in part:
"This survey indicates that we need a more in-depth approach. We are working on the details of that examination."
Union leaders told LEX 18 that the job fair and the response from Lexington gives them hope that change will come.
