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September 29, 2000

"Imagine our surprise and amazement"
Secret report blasts private Y.O operation

A secret consultant’s report commissioned by the Ministry of Community and Social Services (ComSoc) reveals that a handful of privately run young offender facilities are rife with mismanagement, substandard training and supervisor conflicts.

The report, obtained by Southam news, depicts the non-profit St. Lawrence Youth Association as a "fragile" group with flawed management, non-existent planning and an unqualified board of directors.

The report comes on the heels of an escape from the privately run Genest Youth Detention Centre, a high security young offender facility in London. ComSoc turned the operation of Genest over to the private sector earlier this year.

Liberal Corrections Critic David Levac was quick to pounce in the Legislature on Wednesday.

"Imagine our surprise and amazement to find out there has been another escape from a privately run, for-profit detention centre in Ontario," Levac said in a speech to the Legislature. "It happened on Tuesday, September 19, at the Genest Youth Detention Centre, a high-security facility. First, Camp Turnaround or, as it is called, Camp Run-Amok, on its first day of operation had an escape. Next, a few months ago, there was an escape from a facility run by the same company that runs Genest. The use of a stolen van during that escape nearly cost the lives of a dozen toddlers from a nearby daycare centre. Now this one. Even with the cherry-picked, best-behaved offenders in private facilities the Minister of Community and Social Services still just doesn't get it. Privately run, for-profit detention centres don't work."

Levac went on to criticize the suppression of the negative ComSoc report. "Today, we find that Minister Baird has had a report since April that cites untrained staff, non-compliance with policies and staff shortages are increasing the risk of injury to both staff and community," Levac said. "All these previously predicted problems cost the ministry $2.3 million a year. Minister, your own commissioned report, submitted in April, is asking you to halt privatization drives. Do yourself and the communities across this province a favour and stop the privatization."

Bob Eaton, chair of the OPSEU ComSoc Ministry Employee Relations Committee, said that a union survey of workers at privatized young offender facilities found widespread complaints about low morale, lack of training, scant ministry supervision and high staff turnover. "The type of problems outlined in this report are not unique," Eaton said. "The only responsible thing to do is to put a halt to this."

We are beginning to wonder how many times will it have be proven to Corrections Minister Rob Sampson that privatization is wrong before he stops this madness.

C.O.’s have breakfast – with Rob!

It’s just a shame there wasn’t any crow on the menu.

Corrections Minister Rob Sampson was flustered and confused when 10 correctional officers showed up at the Minister’s $18 a plate breakfast hosted by the Milton Chamber of Commerce.

The event, which took place on Thursday, Sept. 21, was supposed to be an education session for the Milton area business community on the benefits of the Maplehurst superjail. What it turned into was a grilling by the correctional officers on Sampson’s misrepresentation of recidivism rates. The officers in attendance at the breakfast were from Local 234 (Maplehurst Complex), Local 248 (Hamilton-Wentworth D.C.), Local 233 (Guelph C.C.), Local 122 (Bluewater Youth Center) and Local 521 (Mimico/TYAC).

The 100 guests in the room, including business people, Salvation Army representatives, female support group members, a psychiatrist and a Milton hospital CEO looked on in surprise as the Minister stumbled through his answers to the correctional officer’s questions. Sampson appeared rattled, as he probably thought he was going to sneak in and out of the breakfast without anyone challenging his statements.

It was also reported Sampson consumed a lot of Rolaids after the breakfast, but that rumour is unsubstantiated.

A job well planned and executed by the "Sampson watchers."

Axe drops on vacation schedules

Notices have been sent out to institutions across the province rescinding vacation schedules as the Ministry prepares to implement their new protocols.

Under the Ministry plan, first revealed last winter during negotiations on compressed work week agreements, a set number of correctional officers must be on vacation every day of the year. This will drastically reduce the number of staff allowed off during peak periods, such as mid-summer.

OPSEU filed a policy grievance on this issue last March, and it is now being scheduled for hearing. In a letter to the Ministry, Grievance Officer Jim Paul stated, "Various scheduling concepts identified (by the Ministry), specifically vacation scheduling, are not endorsed by the Union corporately."

Barry Scanlon, chair of the OPSEU Corrections Ministry Employee Relations Committee, is angered by the Ministry’s latest move.

"This Minister constantly wants to be at war with us," Scanlon said. "He will do anything to divert our attention from privatization. He has the nerve to send out a video saying how tough our jobs are, then he ruins members’ vacations. That just shows what he is all about."

The union maintains that the number of staff off on vacation at any given time is negotiable, and not a management right. In our opinion this initiative is also discriminatory and a breach of the collective agreement.

Locals are advised to do the following when given notice on their vacation schedules:

1. File a group grievance signed by all the affected members in the local. Do this as quickly as possible and add on more names if necessary. In the grievance, state that the employer has violated the collective agreement, including but not limited to Articles 2, 3, 10, 16, 46, 72, COR 5 and COR 8.
2. If forced, negotiate a new vacation protocol with the employer and try to get the best possible agreement for the members. However, do NOT sign off the agreement. Tell the employer you are reserving your right to grieve this issue.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact any member of the Corrections MERC team.

100!

It was a resolution whirlwind this week, thanks to the Resolution Warrior from the Thunder Bay Jail and Blaine Warden of Local 252 (Niagara D.C.). As a result, there are now 100 communities opposed to the privatization of correctional services.

The town of Fort Erie is on board thanks to Blaine, and Local 737’s Len Mason brought in a mind blurring eight municipalities; the Township of Bexley, the Township of Southgate, the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, the Village of Lakefield, the Township of Osprey, the Township of Pickle Lake, the township of Admaston/Bromley and the Village of Fenelon Falls.

Way to go, guys!

Don’t forget!

The Sudbury Jail demonstration takes place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. And get geared up for the big Penetanguishene protest on Saturday, Oct. 14. More details to follow.

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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Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Rd. Toronto, ON M3B 3P8  (416) 443-8888  www.opseu.org