December 1, 2000
Demonstrators brave the chill
High
winds and low temperatures didn’t deter over 60 protesters who turned out at
Mimico Correctional Centre on Thursday to kick off a ministerial vote of
non-confidence.
Members were in attendance from Local 521 (Mimico/TYAC), Local 517 (Toronto
West D.C.), Local 582 (Toronto East D.C.), Local 530 (Toronto Jail), and Local
263 (Vanier Centre). Corrections Critics Peter Kormos (NDP) and David Levac
(Liberal) also came out in support, along with Barry Scanlon and Dave Graves of
the OPSEU Corrections Ministry Employee Relations Committee.
Many demonstrators wore paper bags over their heads, symbolizing the shame
they felt about Corrections Minister Rob Sampson’s comments about his staff in
the press.
"This guy (Sampson) is a complete joke," one protester said.
"He wouldn’t know a real correctional officer if he fell over one."
Peter
Kormos lead off the speakers’ list with his usual fire, criticizing Sampson’s
privatization agenda. Kormos also blasted the Minister for his latest publicity
stunt regarding inmate drug testing.
"Rob Sampson is continuing the Tory government’s obsession with the
urine of the people of Ontario," Kormos said. "Pretty soon, we’ll
have truckloads of urine traveling up and down our highways courtesy of Mike
Harris."
David Levac urged the members not to give up opposing privatization.
"I have absolutely no confidence in this Minister," Levac said.
"In the game of hockey, a game we cherish in this country, when there are
problems with the team, you don’t get rid of the team. You fire the coach. It’s
time for you to go, Coach Sampson."
A surprise speaker at the demonstration was Dave Walker, an operational
manager from Maplehurst Complex. Walker was there with "Dixie", his
specially trained institutional drug dog. Walker and Dixie were familiar faces
in Ontario jails for 11 years before the Tory government cut their work in 1996.
Walker said that Rob Sampson’s scheme to drug test inmates will do little
to cut down drug smuggling in the jails.
"From
1985 to 1996 400 searches were conducted in Ontario jails," Walker said.
"Correctional services dogs logged over 2000 drug finds, found over 250
weapons and caught 6 escapees. Yet this government canceled our program. This
has put the health and safety of every officer in jeopardy."
The Tory government decided to utilize "free" OPP drug dogs to
replace Walker and Dixie. The OPP canine unit has been ineffective, Walker said.
"The OPP dogs are failing due to the unfamiliar and unique conditions of
the prison environment," Walker said. "I challenge the Minister to do
the right thing and re-instate the correctional service drug dogs. Then Sampson
can truthfully say he’s fighting drugs in the jails."
Walker is fighting to return Dixie to work. The complaint has been at the
Ontario Labour Relations Board for three years.
Local 521 president Bill Kruger thanked all those who braved the cold to come
out in support. Kruger then asked for a moment of silence in honour of the 543
staff who were receiving lay-off notices just before the holidays.
It was another excellent event organized by Local 521’s Roger Hogue.
Thanks, Roger, for your continued hard work.
Ministry to probe interviews at York Detention
Ontario Community and Social Services Minister John Baird is now
investigating York Detention Centre’s new private operator, Casatta Ltd., over
what he calls its "bizarre" job interview tactics.
As first mentioned in Lock Talk on Nov. 3, Casatta asked job
applicants at York Detention, among other things, their views on abortion,
whether they spanked their children and whether they were married. These
interviews prompted angry complaints from would-be employees.
Kitchener-based Casatta Ltd. has since hired a consultant to overhaul its
hiring practices and is having the Ontario Human Rights Commission review the
new system. Baird refused to comment directly on whether the controversy could
threaten Casatta’s contract to run the facility. "We’ll see what the
response is," he said.
Bob Eaton, chair of OPSEU’s ComSoc Ministry Employee Relations Committee,
is worried about how the private managers are treating inmates and argued that
the minister’s response doesn’t go far enough.
"If they would try to take advantage of mature, educated adults in the
workplace, what is happening to vulnerable kids in a secure custody
setting?" asked Eaton.
Different applicants for jobs at York were also questioned about: whether
their children were good or bad and what they thought of unions. Some were even
asked whether they believed in composting and why manholes are round.
Baird’s office had earlier indicated that it was up to individual
applicants to take complaints about their interviews to the Human Rights
Commission. It would seem that the media has given the Minister a change of
heart. Funny how that works.
Watch for those ballots!
Ballots for the Rob Sampson vote of non-confidence were mailed to every local
in Correctional Services on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Local presidents or highest
ranking officials should receive them anytime.
Barry Scanlon is urging locals to make sure every member participates.
"We need 100 per cent response to this," Scanlon said. "We
have to send a strong message to Sampson so that he will stop telling the press
that we agree with his agenda."
The deadline for returning ballots is Dec. 15. If you don not receive your
package by next week, please notify Don Ford, OPSEU Head Office, at once.
Resolution watch
The number of municipalities that Corrections Minister Rob Sampson is
ignoring has now reached 149.
Our Resolution Warrior, Len Mason, from Local 737 (Thunder Bay Jail) has
received confirmation that the Township of Brock (west of Lindsay) and the
Municipality of Clarington (Bowmanville-Newcastle) have officially opposed
private corrections.
Ontario voters are knocking, Rob. Is anybody home?
For campaign information, call Don Ford (ext. 442) or Carol Whitehead
(ext. 356) at
1-800-268-7376 or (416) 443-8888. e-mail: dford@opseu.org
or cwhitehead@opseu.org
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
100 Lesmill Road, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3P8
www.opseu.org
opseu@opseu.org
Original authorized for distribution by Leah Casselman, president.
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