OPSEU Local 247

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Letter from Brant MPP Dave Levac, Liberal Corrections critic, 2002, during OPSEU strike, regarding Ontario's Correctional Officers.

Dear CO,
Since the government has refused to bargain in good faith and deal with health and safety issues, we are currently faced with an intolerable situation in our correctional facilities. I have visited numerous correctional facilities across the province and I am appalled by the current situation. I have seen inmates in possession of contraband, nurses who had been pulling together eighteen-hour shifts, unsupervised wings, and management overseeing an intolerable amount of inmates. It does not take me to tell you that this is unacceptable. Our correctional facilities are in a very dangerous state and I am very concerned. Since the strike, riots have occurred at Millbrook, Hamilton, Sarnia, and Ottawa. Someone is going to be seriously injured if something is not done soon. I am equally concerned by the lack of response be the Conservative government. This government has done nothing to ease tensions or deal with these important safety issues. They continue to fail to show any respect for public servants or do anything to listen, address or understand their concerns. I understand that the government has been ordered back to the bargaining table. I hope that they will finally get down to business and deal with the important issues that are on the table. Along with exposing the current situation in correctional facilities to the media, I have continued to apply pressure to the Minister to address these safety issues. I have written numerous letters to Minister Rob Sampson expressing my concerns, however, the Minister continues to ignore these problems. Further, Dalton McGuinty, Leader of the Official Opposition and the rest of the Liberal caucus have called for the government to sit down at the bargaining table and deal with the issues at hand since the beginning of the strike. Dalton McGuinty has given me his assurance that he will stop the privatization of our jails. The Liberal Party would not breach a contract with the private company operating the super jail but would not renew the contract and no more private jails would be opened. Private jails are a failed experiment and have no place in Ontario. The Liberal Party is also committed to doing a management review from the top down and to improving staff where needed. Thank you very much for keeping me updated on what is happening within our correctional facilities. I will continue to work hard to make sure that the serious situation in our correctional facilities is addressed. The safety of those working within the facilities and the inmates is in question. I will also fight to make sure that the concerns of Ontario's correctional officers are met. Let me end by expressing my appreciation and respect for the work that you do. You are the reason this system has continues to work under extreme conditions.
Sincerely,

Dave Levac,
MPP Brant