FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 2, 2000
Correctional
services in jeopardy as youth correctional officers opt out
TORONTO - Most permanent staff at five Ontario young offenders facilities have opted to
be laid off rather than move to a new employer if their work is privatized later this
year.
Of 200 permanent staff, 160 - 80 per cent - opted to leave when called on to make the
choice last week.
"This is the price of privatization," said Leah
Casselman, president of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union. "The government will spend $12 to $15 million
to get rid of thousands of years of professional experience and training. It doesn’t
make any sense at all."
The five facilities in the Ministry of Community and Social Services
(ComSoc) include
Casselman’s workplace, the Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville, and four others: the
Genest Detention Centre in London, the York Detention Centre in Toronto, the Sault Ste.
Marie Observation and Detention Hall, and Project Dare, in South River. They house
offenders aged 12 to 15 at the time they offend.
One hundred per cent of permanent staff have opted out at the York Detention
Centre.
Only in Sault Ste. Marie did a majority of staff elect to move to the private operator.
The fate of two similar facilities, privatized in 1999, shows the likely outcome if the
five go private, Casselman said.
"In Hamilton, the Arrell Youth Centre slashed salaries by at least $10,000 per
worker and the government boosted the budget from $2.2 million to $2.5 million," she
said. "In Ottawa, taxpayers are paying for the William E. Hay Centre to sit almost
empty.
"The legacy of privatization is higher costs, less accountability, and less money
for services."
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For more information:
Leah Casselman (416) 443-8888 ext. 300
Bob Eaton (613) 498-7676 (cell)
Genest Detention Centre, London
Vivian Van Wagner (905) 844-4110 ext. 2217; pager (416) 328-6809
York Detention Centre, Toronto: Tony Gentile (416) 314-0710 (w); (905) 432-3958 (h)
Sault Ste. Marie Observation and Detention Centre:
Mike Thompson (705) 256-5987 (w) (705) 248-1401 (h)
Project D.A.R.E., South River: Austin Toth (705) 386-2376 (w); (705) 387-0573 (h)
