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April 6, 2002
Jail chaos linked to managers’ plans for $35,000 wage hike
That explains a lot!
OPSEU President Leah Casselman told a Thursday press conference she believes jail managers are deliberately flouting orders of the Ontario Labour Relations Board to shore up their demands for a $35,000-a-year pay raise.
According to a March 22 e-mail obtained by OPSEU, Operational Managers are seeking to join the Police Association of Ontario to back their salary demands. The e-mail to 50 Corrections managers states, “We have been advised by the [PAO] President that this is a perfect time to come
together as a group for this purpose as our strongest and best negotiating time is right after the current labour dispute because the employer has our job performance fresh in their mind.”
Corrections managers are seeking a three-step increase. Managers who worked during the strike would receive the proposed top rate of $89,600 immediately, the e-mail says.
Some managers who received the e-mail are among the 11 cited by OPSEU for contempt of the OLRB. The Board had ordered them to allow OPSEU Correctional Officers to perform essential services work at Maplehurst during the strike.
“These managers want to look like heroes to the boss, and the way they have chosen to do it is to lock out essential workers,” said OPSEU president Leah Casselman.
“On the rare occasions when they do allow essential workers in, they make sure that conditions inside are as dangerous as possible. They are inciting inmate hostility against our officers and refusing to acknowledge legitimate health and safety concerns.”
Other e-mails obtained by OPSEU show a manager planning suspensions of Correctional Officers in advance of health and safety work refusals and then reporting to Maplehurst superintendent Fred Williams when the suspensions occur. In another e-mail, a Maplehurst manager brags, “Once
again we have stopped the staff from entering the institution.”
“Managers are working as a group to defy Labour Board orders,” said Barry Scanlon, chair of the Corrections bargaining team.
“These actions pose a risk to our members, not only now but after the strike is over. All correctional staff are trained to present a united front to inmates. Managers are undermining that. We are very concerned about the long-term impacts on correctional officers’ authority inside.”
Bargaining continues - media blackout
Talks are continuing, and again we can’t tell you anything about it.
For the bargaining team, solidarity means working in their own world to get ever closer to a settlement.
Of course everyone has questions. How is it going? Are they getting any closer? What is still on the table? What is happening about my issue?
All valid questions, and the answer to all of them is that bargaining continues with a media blackout.
Solidarity for the other members of the OPS means keeping the lines strong.
Make sure the team has the maximum bargaining power by talking up our issues,
Keep planning events. Keep thinking up ways to interest the media. Keep writing those letters. It’s all linked together on the road to an “A” Contract.
MTO: 0 OPSEU: 1
Chris Davies from Local 270 tells of success in picketing the MTO weigh scales despite an injunction keeping pickets off the ramps and paved areas used by trucks.
“A group of dedicated pickets found a safe location at the Trafalgar Truck Inspection Station (no truck traffic, protected and not impeding the operation).”
Management said they violated the injunction. As advised by OPSEU counsel, the pickets told management to contact the senior counsel in the Attorney General’s office. They called the OPP instead.
With the OPP en route, OPSEU lawyers called back within about 15 minutes with the news they had called the Senior Legal Counsel with the AG, who was calling MTO Senior Management and advising them to “call off the dogs.”
After talking to management about an hour, the OPP advised the pickets:
• they had discussed the situation with their Inspector and Legal services
• they were of the view we were not in violation of the injunction
• they deemed the scale to be public highway and not private property as management said
•they would not have our vehicle’s towed as management wished
• we were in a safe location, not impeding traffic or disrupting operations.
“We then shook hands and they went back to much more important work, I’m sure,” Chris said.
Gratitude for your strength and courage
Having been involved in lengthy strikes ourselves, we know how important it is to repeat our message of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in OPSEU.
As the strike continues and more days pass without a fair resolution, please be assured we appreciate the magnitude of your fight.
Quality public services are on the line in this struggle. Your fight is our fight, because the outcome of your negotiations will have an impact on the quality of life for all Ontarians. You have our continued gratitude for your strength and courage.
- Phyllis Benedict, President
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
This came with a cheque for $10,000 as “a practical demonstration of our support.”
Here’s a few answers
Here are the answers to the crossword clues published in yesterday’s FRONTlines:
1. Klein., 2. You., 3. Him., 4. Jail., 5. Newmarket., 6. Clothing., 7. Tsubouchi, 8. Million., 9. Eight., 10. Teacher.
Payroll chaos Voicemail hell
In yesterday’s FRONTlines, we advised you to call CEO Tony Pierro of Shared Services Bureau 416-325-1940 to report discrepancies in pay cheques and dues deduction.
Apparently that sends you on a voicemail loop.
With luck, these numbers will yield better results:
Katherine Stoddart - Payroll and Benefits (Community Services, Justice and Management Board cluster) (416) 314-8745
Krista Christou - (Economics, Business, Finance, Resources, Land cluster) (416)314-2346
Judy Iwachewski - (Human Services and Transportation cluster) (905)704-2920.
Good news from Local 736
Wedding bells
Kevin Caddo and Shelly Hossanna, both OPSEU members, were married March 23.
Kevin works for the Ministry of Finance and is picketing with Locals 736 and 701 on the 1-5 shift on the Thunder Bay Downtown Waterfront line. Shelly, from Local 730, is a BPS member with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
And a new baby
Susan Eyben and her husband had their fourth child March 15. Taylor weighed in at 8 lbs. 7 ½ ounces, and was delivered by the proud papa, apparently on the living room couch.
Susan works for the Ontario Registrar General. All are doing well.
Check the web: www.opseu.org has the latest on everything.
Original approved for publication by Leah Casselman, President
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