Should I stay or should I go?

OPSEU members at five Young Offender facilities have five working days to decide if they want to work for a private employer when their work is contracted out. In meetings today, the Ministry of Community and Social Services handed out "staff election notices" to nearly 500 members.

The government plans to issue Request for Proposals soon, and expects the five facilities will be private within six to eight months. The five facilities are: the Genest Detention Centre in London, the Syl Apps Centre in Oakville, the York Detention Centre in Toronto, the Sault Ste. Marie Observation and Detention Hall, and Project Dare in South River (near North Bay).

One of those making a decision this week is OPSEU President Leah Casselman, a correctional officer at Syl Apps.

"Privatization is bad for workers, and it’s bad for the service we provide," said Casselman, a youth correctional officer. "The record shows that privately-run facilities are more dangerous, more costly, and less accountable than those under direct control of the Minister. The only thing that makes private facilities work at all is the dedication of the front-line staff in them."

In 1997, provincial auditor Erik Peters said the province had no way of knowing if young offenders agencies outside the Ontario Public Service were meeting provincial standards or not. The auditor said there was a "weak accountability relationship between the Ministry and its transfer payment agencies."

In 1999, Peters confirmed that things weren’t getting any better.

"With this privatization, they are taking the most stable part of the system and ripping it to pieces," said Casselman.

OPSEU members who need more information to make their decision should contact their local presidents. OPSEU locals have the full support of OPSEU Job Security Officers, staff representatives, organizers, and other staff in this difficult time.

OPSEU continues to make progress on equipment and training for community escorts.

In a settlement Jan. 19, the Corrections Division agreed to provide correctional officers on community escort with clothing that better identifies officers. This includes:

• winter hats will have a crest comparable to the crest on the Ministry issued baseball caps;
• a bomber-style jacket with zip-out lining as issued to provincial bailiffs, complete with identifier "Corrections" on concealable flap on back and shoulder flashes;
• raincoats (blue) with identifier "Corrections" stencilled on back;
• a new winter parka with shoulder flashes and the identifier "Corrections" on a concealable flap on the back; and
• other improvements to clothing.

The settlement, which has been made an order of the Grievance Settlement Board, will also require the employer to provide better equipment, such as gas masks, in vehicles, and training.

The full text of the agreement is available on the OPSEU web site at http://www.opseu.org/ops/ministry/locktalk/grievance.htm.

As reported in the Dec. 30 Lock Talk, OPSEU has filed complaints with the Ontario Labour Relations Board over government plans to privatize offender transportation.

Basically, the union complaints argue that the privatization announcement is a retaliation against the union for being too successful at fighting for safe community escorts.