No, we’re not making this up.

The union representing state prison guards – the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association – is paying $100 to every member who attends a rally at the state Capitol in Albany.

In an internal memo obtained by the Daily News, the union’s treasurer John Telisky wrote, “Please be advised that all members who attend the June 2, 2009, rally at the Albany Capitol will be paid $100 for their participation.” To receive the $100, members have to get a union representative to sign an expense voucher proving they attended the rally.

When asked about the $100, Telisky claimed it wasn’t meant to persuade members to show up, but to cover travel expenses. But as the Daily News pointed out, Telisky’s memo specifically noted that mileage reimbursements would not be provided.

Telisky expects about 1,000 members to show up at the June rally. Just for good measure, we did the math: 1,000 members x $100 = $100,000 in hard-earned members’ dues. We wonder how the rank-and-file would feel about this.