SUDBURY - Correctional Officer Ron Sullivan of Local 617 shaved his head, spiked the resulting Mohawk and dyed it blue to match his uniform. He was protesting orders from management to shave the goatee he's sported for 10 years.

Sullivan figured the order to shave had more to do with the Sudbury Jail superintendent's concern with dress code than safety. He wanted a hair style which would really make the new uniform stand out in public.

The employer, who based the order to shave on safety procedures for using breathing equipment, got more than it bargained for on the safety front too.

By pushing safety, Sullivan's dispute produced orders for new breathing masks in a variety of sizes to fit the correctional staff at the jail, proper location of the varied sized masks throughout the jail, improved maintenance for the masks, supplementary kits for the masks, a review of training for using the equipment, a review of fire procedures, and the cleaning of existing and purchase of new bullet proof vests for jail staff.

On top of that, Sullivan's teenage son thinks the hair style looks pretty cool.

Sullivan's fight over the beard hasn't ended. He has a couple of grievances filed and hopes it won't be long until his hair is back to normal, both on his head and on his chin.

Two-wheeler paramedics win award

Two officers in Local 344 are among an award-winning paramedic bike team serving the Cobourg area.

Robert Kerr is a unit steward with Local 344. Rae MacCulloch, past president of the local, is a steward. They are among 13 paramedics who ride bikes at community events.

The bike patrol lets them move through crowds more quickly than an ambulance could.

It gets treatment to a patient faster, until an ambulance can arrive with full emergency gear.

The program won an award for innovation recently.

The bicycle paramedics are also active in a bicycle helmet safety program.

Housekeeping, not food services

The October issue of Our Ontario reported that North York General Hospital had cancelled a food service contract with the Marriott Corporation. The cancellation at North York General actually affected laundry and housekeeping services.

Our Ontario regrets the error.

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