FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2, 2005
Strike deadline
looms for private jail
PENETANGUISHENE – Correctional
officers employed at Canada’s only private adult jail will
walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 12 if no agreement is
reached for their new collective agreement. On July 21,
members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local
369 voted 95 per cent to reject the last contract offer by
Utah-based Management and Training Corporation.
OPSEU President Leah Casselman
said that while wage issues have been mostly agreed upon,
issues such as staffing levels and time off remain
outstanding.
“Our members are still looking
for parity with their public sector counterparts,” Casselman
said. “We will not allow this American company to run the jail
at standards that are below jails in the rest of the
province.”
Unlike publicly-operated jails,
there is no law requiring members to provide essential
services during a strike or lockout. Sean Wilson, chair of the
union bargaining team, said this should be a concern for both
the jail and the community.
“Less than 50 MTC managers are
available to replace 200 striking correctional officers,”
Wilson said. “There aren’t any trained teams available to deal
with riots or other disturbances should they arise.”
The union local will officially
open its strike headquarters at 2:00 p.m. Wed., Aug. 3, 2005,
on Fuller Ave. outside Central North Correctional Centre. The
previous contract expired on Dec. 31, 2004.
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For further information:
Sean Wilson, (705) 321-9596
or (705) 835-2377
Terry Krulicki, OPSEU Staff Representative (705) 238-8080 or
(705) 325-4457
