PORTLAND – Corrections officers demonstrated outside the Cumberland County Jail on Tuesday following a Monday night no-confidence vote by union members critical of Sheriff Mark Dion.

The union voted 71-15 in support of the motion.

“We’re calling for him to resign,” said James Beaulieu, business agent for the union representing the corrections officers. “We don’t think he can change. We don’t think he’s willing to change.”

County commissioners issued a statement supporting Dion’s leadership and crediting Dion and County Manager Peter Crichton with working to ease staffing shortages while coping with increases in the inmate population.

Officers contend that the sheriff has responded to their complaints by increasing internal affairs investigations and discipline.

With contract negotiations pending, Dion said, he has urged better pay and benefits for the jail’s staff. The county’s corrections officers are the highest paid in the state, he said.

The local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union endorsed Dion’s opponent in the 2002 election.

If the union’s concerns are not addressed within a month, members will refuse to work overtime, according to recently elected union President Richard Kimball.

Kimball linked part of the problem to the presence of so-called revenue inmates who are detained by other agencies that pay the county a fixed rate to house them. He said jail staffing is based on having 325 inmates but that the jail has close to 500.

Crichton said revenue from outside inmates benefits taxpayers.

Crichton acknowledges that new staff needs to be recruited. He said there are eight actual vacancies, with another 10 officers scheduled to start next month when they complete training. Another six or seven are out on military, medical or administrative leave.