NORTH BAY – OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 1st
Vice-President/Treasurer Patricia Rout and the seven highest-ranking elected
members of OPSEU will attend a rally for members at the North Bay Jail this
Thursday.
Date: Thu. June 7, 2007
Time: 12:15 p.m.
Location: Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Regional Office, 200 First Avenue, North Bay
“We will be there to show our union’s full support for these
members who are under attack by an employer who we feel is acting illegally,
immorally and without regard to our members’ safety,” Thomas said.
Thomas is referring to incidents of reprisals against staff for
health and safety refusals at the jail, refusals that were all found valid by
inspectors at the Ministry of Labour. In an incident last January, unprotected
staff refused to confront an inmate, armed with a razor, while management
ignored requests to activate the facility’s specially-trained team that deals
with these types of occurrences.
“My members cannot live in fear of sanctions for trying to
protect themselves,” Thomas said. “We want to send a very clear message to
Corrections Minister Monte Kwinter that he must take immediately action and stop
these illegal retaliatory actions by his managers.”
Thomas says he will work with the Ministry to stabilize labour
relations at the North Bay Jail, if the Ministry cooperates. “We need to know
who is really running this facility, and take steps to end the intimidation and
fear. Only then can we move forward.”
