We are pleased to bring you the first update from the National Labour Management Committee under our new mandate following the National General Assembly (NGA). At the outset of the meeting, the employer extended congratulations to our newly elected National Executive – an acknowledgment of the strength and solidarity of our membership. The National Executive also welcomed Leo Porelle, of Dorchester Institution, as the observer for the week’s meetings.
Critical Staffing Shortages & Forced Overtime
A major focus of our discussions was the persistent and worsening staffing crisis across many institutions. We highlighted the ongoing forced overtime that is being relied upon far too frequently to cover shifts, placing an unacceptable burden on our members and creating unsafe conditions in our workplaces, and insisted on the employer using all tools at their disposal to operationally adjust the workplace to avoid the ordering of staff to stay past their hours of work.
The employer acknowledged the strain this is placing on both operations and personnel. We made it clear that immediate action is needed, not just talk.
Correctional Training Programs (CTPs) – A Quebec Crisis
We raised serious concerns about the shortage of CTP candidates in Quebec, where not all seats were filled last year, leaving many institutions with dangerously low staffing levels.
Additionally, we signaled a troubling trend of new graduates facing significant delays, often waiting a month or more before being integrated into institutions. These delays waste time, strain operational capacity, and further deepen the staffing crisis.
We demanded that the employer streamline the onboarding process and increase recruitment efforts especially in critical regions like Quebec.
Scheduling
We are continuing work to finalize an updated Scheduling Bulletin, which will guide institutions on how to build new rosters in line with our Collective Agreement. Once finalized, we also signaled to the employer that joint training exercises should be conducted in each of our regions for our institutional joint scheduling committees, to support the collaboration required to jointly develop schedules without issues of conflicting interpretation, which would hinder the process.
Our message was clear: The union also owns the schedules, and while we recognize that schedules need to be updated in many locals, we will not compromise on fair and equitable schedules that reflect a positive work life.
Retroactive Pay Implementation
We raised the issue of retroactive pay following the signing of our most recent Collective Agreement. We reminded the employer of the importance of clear and timely communication regarding payment dates and implementation progress.
Our members deserve transparency and their rightful compensation without further delay.
Transgender Strip Searching
It was communicated to the Commissioner that in the face of fostering respectful workplaces, and employing the mental health strategy of the service, ordering staff to perform work which they are not comfortable doing is not a viable solution. Since 2016, without any tangible policy in place, it has been the members of UCCO-SACC-CSN who have volunteered to perform this vital role for our institutional security. Now, the employer suggests that all staff are required to perform strip searches of transgender inmates, even though the inmate may have genitalia of the opposite sex, unless the employee seeks an accommodation. We signalled to the Commissioner that our members are being disciplined on this issue, as they are being ordered to perform the searches. This is not a good practice and may result in our members seeking accommodations in masse, leaving no-one to do the job. If the Service was genuine about fostering respectful workplaces and employing its new policy on mental health, it should show our members respect and seek a volunteer before ordering anyone to perform this work.