‘Save Our Jails’ campaign targets Queen’s Park May 31
(TORONTO – May 30, 2011) – More than 75 correctional
officers and their supporters are expected to descend on Queen’s Park May 31
in a bid to convince MPPs to rally behind their campaign to keep jails open
in Owen Sound and Walkerton.
Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell and Brocton Town Councilor
Chris Peabody will join dozens of correctional officers in the Legislative
building during Question Period when Opposition MPPs are expected to ask why
the McGuinty government is moving ahead with its plans to shut the two jails
without holding public consultations on the proposed closures.
“We’re taking our message directly to the Premier and the
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services inside the
Legislature,” said OPSEU Local 224 President Paul Johnstone, who represents
correctional officers at Owen Sound jail. “We want them to see the human
face of their reckless decision to go ahead with something that will disrupt
the lives of hundreds of families and damage our local criminal justice
system.
“It will be a forceful reminder that they’re destroying good
jobs in our communities.”
Haswell and Peabody will join OPSEU Vice President-Treasurer
Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida and New Democrat MPP Peter Kormos (Welland-Thorold)
and Conservative MPP Bill Murdoch (Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound) at a 12 noon press
conference at the Legislature.
Afterwards, they will join the demonstrators from Walkerton
and Owen Sound on an information picket line outside the offices of
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Jim Bradley at 25
Grosvenor Street, in Toronto.
Paul Johnstone
OPSEU Local
224
519-375-5946
Redcutlass72@hotmail.com
OPSEU Campaigns & Communications
647-238-9933 cell
ghamara@opseu.org
Gerry Hope
OPSEU Local 225
519-881-0307
ghope@wightman.ca
