Corrections has our wholehearted support
January 13, 2009
There are tough jobs, and there are even tougher jobs:
Imagine having to face a crowd of angry prison inmates every shift.
Our sisters and brothers who work in the infectious,
overcrowded and often dangerous provincial jails have our admiration and
support. They perform a necessary public service under very stressful
conditions.
So when provincial government negotiators slap a major
concession on the Corrections unit bargaining table, you can expect a strong
negative reaction.
The employer’s proposal would gut the sick leave provisions
of the contract. It has all the earmarks of the typical ham-fisted jail
management tactics we’d hoped were a thing of the past.
It’s no surprise that our Corrections bargaining team has
asked the membership for a solid rejection of the employer’s offer at the
upcoming vote.
You can be sure that if Corrections are forced to swallow
these concessions, the rest of the Ontario Public Service won’t be far
behind – likely in the next bargaining round.
So while our teams have successfully negotiated solid
agreements at the Unified and Central tables, the proposals on the
Corrections table should be soundly rejected.
Only a strong rejection vote will send the right message to
the employer. That way, both sides can get back to the table and find a
better and fairer solution.
And if they are forced to take strike action – and I
certainly hope it won’t get to that stage — they will certainly have our
wholehearted support
In solidarity,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President
OPS Bargaining 2008
