Corrections officers and union reps in North Bay rally for a new contract
Corrections officers and union reps in North Bay rally for a new contract
Around a dozen correctional officers and union representatives spent part of Friday picketing in front of the North Bay Jail as contract negotiations with the Ontario government are about to restart.
The union is asking the province to eliminate Bill 124, while also fixing what they describe as a "toxic management culture" in the jail system.
"While we're trying to keep our inmates safe and healthy, it's creating more work for us which is not being compensated," said North Bay Jail corrections officer Timothy Sullivan, while out on the picket line.
The union's bargaining team is back at the table this weekend with the Ministry of The Solicitor General, after delays because of the Ontario election. Their contract has been up for quite some time.
"We want what's fair. Our job is very challenging,” said OPSEU Local 616 chief steward Angie Sutherland.
“So not a lot of people in the public understand how challenging it is to work in corrections."
The union said the toxic management culture and an already stressful work environment was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Things are constantly changing and we're just being thrown into the middle of it,” said corrections officer Nolan Ladouceur.
“The frustrations and tensions are higher as the rules change throughout the jail."
The union is also demanding Bill 124, a 2019 law that limits wage increases at one per cent for public sector workers, be scrapped to compensate for rising inflation.
"Right now, morale is very low," said Sutherland.
"Corrections took a bit hit during the pandemic and we've been working tirelessly."
In a statement to CTV News, Ontario’s Treasury Board Secretariat said the government respects the role correctional officers and other employees play in keeping communities safe.
“Negotiations are ongoing, with the intent to reach an agreement that is fair for all parties,” spokesperson Kyle Richardson wrote in an email.
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