Gélinas to tour Sudbury Jail on Monday morning

As correctional workers near a legal strike position, two New Democrat MPPs have announced they will visit the Sudbury Jail on Monday morning.

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas will join Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, the NDP's critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, on a visit the Sudbury Jail, the pair announced in a release Sunday.

“Correction officers, probation and parole officers and all members of the correctional bargaining unit at the Sudbury Jail will be in a legal strike or lockout position on Saturday, Jan. 9,” a news release said. “The Liberal government has created a crisis in corrections that must be addressed. MPPs Gélinas and French want to encourage both parties to negotiate.”

In the event of a strike, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has said it would maintain services at correctional institutions.

“We acknowledge that this round of negotiations has been challenging,” said a release from the ministry last week.

“However, we remain committed to the collective bargaining process, and to working with OPSEU's correctional bargaining unit to reach an agreement that is fair and reasonable to both our employees and the public and is consistent with the government's fiscal plan.”

Jail guards in Sudbury, members of OPSEU Local 617, have been taking job action over the last several weeks to publicize what they describe as unfit working conditions at the Sudbury Jail.

They also want improvements to staffing levels and wages, among other concerns. The correctional bargaining unit covers about 5,500 employees, working in provincial jails, correctional facilities youth centres and probation and parole offices, who work in a wide variety of positions in the Ontario Public Service including correctional officers, youth services officers, youth probation officers, and probation and parole officers.

The previous collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2014.

Speaking on Dec. 22 at a protest outside Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault's office, Nathan Aubin, president of OPSEU Local 617, said conditions at the local jail were deplorable.

"We've got a jail that was built in the early 1920s and it hasn't changed much since then,” Aubin said. “There have been some renovations done, but we have a mould issue, last year we had an asbestos issue … The conditions inside aren't suitable for animals, but they think it's suitable to house people in. I don't understand why they would continue down that road."

Aubin challenged Thibeault to tour the jail with OPSEU President Smokey Thomas, so he could see the conditions for himself. In response, the MPP said he was willing if he could make it work.

"I'm more than happy to make it happen if it will work with my schedule," Thibeault said, adding he has no issue with protests outside his office, as long as they are peaceful.

In a release late last month, Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, said the province has a plan in case of a strike.

“Our government is committed to bargaining and to reaching a negotiated settlement, but we also have a contingency plan in place to keep staff, inmates and the community safe in case of any labour disruption,” Naqvi said. “The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services will continue to be responsible for the health, safety and transportation of more than 8,000 inmates and staff that would run the institutions, and the monitoring of offenders on probation and parole.

“These plans will make sure this is done in a way that keeps our communities safe while delivering the essential services Ontarians rely on every day.”
The MPPs are planning to visit the jail at 11 a.m. Monday.