PENETANGUISHENE - Unionized correctional officers at Canada's first privatized adult correctional facility are set to resume contract talks this week while their American-based employer is embroiled in a jail strike halfway around the world.
Correctional Officers at Management and Training Corporation's Borallon Correctional Centre in Queensland, Australia are starting their second week of job actions. About 150 prison officers are battling against contract concessions proposed by MTC. Wages are also in dispute.
Borallon Correctional Centre is MTC's only other unionized correctional facility.
Leah Casselman, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said she hopes that this is not an indicator of how the Utah-based company deals with unionized employees.
"Unions play a huge role in ensuring safe standards and fair compensation in correctional services world-wide," Casselman said. "Ontario has one of the safest and most efficient correctional systems in North America. That is not something our members want to see undermined for the sake of profit."
On Feb. 12, Penetanguishene correctional officers voted to reject MTC's latest contract offer by over 95 per cent. Wages, vacations, shift premiums, statutory holiday pay and pregnancy and parental leave supplements remain outstanding issues. Talks resume between OPSEU and MTC on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in Barrie.
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For more information, please contact:
Don Ford, OPSEU Communications (416) 788-9104
