At the recent National Labour Management Committee meeting, the new Commissioner, Talal Dakalbab, introduced himself and outlined his leadership approach. He emphasized openness and accountability. Mr. Dakalbab acknowledged serious concerns about staff wellbeing and aging infrastructure, identifying these as immediate priorities for investment. He committed to engaging partners, including UCCO-SACC-CSN, before finalizing priorities. Your National Executive sees the change in leadership as an opportunity to reset labour relations, and we are hopeful that there may now be new opportunities to improve our membership’s workplaces moving forward.
Staff Wellbeing & Morale
We confirmed that morale across institutions remains critically low. Members continue to feel overworked, undervalued, and unsupported in a correctional system under strain. This is not a perception issue—it is a reality being experienced daily on the floor. Commissioner Dakalbab acknowledged this as one of his first observations in his new role. To affect change, meaningful action is required. UCCO-SACC-CSN will continue to advocate for its members by highlighting the many issues affecting the well-being of our membership in all forums and proposing solutions.
Workplace violence
Once again, we highlighted that violence in our institutions is at unacceptable levels. Assaults, threats, and serious incidents continue to rise. Members are working in increasingly dangerous conditions, and there is growing frustration with the lack of consistent
consequences for inmate violence. Recent examples were at Donnacona; correctional officers have witnessed a third murder in the last eight months. We highlighted that in the Pacific region it is very difficult to have outside charges laid on inmates who have assaulted a correctional officer. The Commissioner mentioned that a jurisdictional issue of court proceedings in the Pacific region has been discussed with the Department of Justice, and there is work being done to try and bring about consistency on this issue across the country. The Commissioner welcomed our involvement in bringing about the required changes.
Infrastructure
Failing infrastructure is directly impacting safety. Aging facilities are not only deteriorating but are being exploited by inmates using deficiencies to create weapons and to compromise security. We highlighted an extreme example of failing infrastructure by detailing the issues surrounding Unit #2 in Bath institution. This unit, which was built over 35 years ago as a temporary living unit when Bath transitioned into a medium security institution, had a 10-year lifespan, expired over 20 years ago. For members who may not have had the opportunity to see this unique unit design, simply picture several mobile homes attached together and you may get a picture of it. It is demonstrably inadequate for a medium security unit and must be replaced. Your National Executive was very happy to hear that infrastructure renewal is a key priority for the Commissioner and expects serious infrastructure issues across the country to be addressed promptly by the Employer.
Scheduling
The National Executive would like to thank each of the institutional scheduling committees for the difficult work done thus far by amending local schedules to reflect the current operational realities. It has been a tremendously tough exercise which has been plagued with interference by the employer. Discussions are ongoing between the parties to resolve the thorny issues that have arisen in the process.
Consultation
As reported on several occasions, consultation has not been happening in a meaningful way with our employer. Too often, decisions have been made and simply communicated after the fact. UCCO-SACC-CSN reiterated that consultation must involve real input and influence over outcome rather than a checkbox exercise. Consultation is the foundation of labour relations, and our expectations were made clearly to the new administration. Both parties acknowledged that communication has been a problem. Moving forward, transparency and consistent engagement will be critical—but must be demonstrated through action, not words.
Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER)
CER measures continue to raise serious concerns. The reality is that cuts—particularly in training and resources—have real impacts on safety and operations. We stressed that short-term savings cannot come at the expense of long-term risk. We were pleased to learn that the Commissioner is reviewing the decisions of the previous administration and indicated he would listen to our concerns. We will continue to engage on this very important issue.
Boot Allowance Increase
Last year a review of our boot allowance was studied by the National Health and Safety Policy committee, and it was determined that the bi-annual allowance of 250 dollars needed to be increased to 400 dollars. After the recommendation was made by the committee, the employer subscribed to it. As this is the fiscal year in which the allowance is paid, it was highlighted that action must be taken to ensure the allowance is paid correctly. The employer committed to providing a timely follow up on this issue.
Workplace Wellness & Occupational Stress Injuries (OSI)
Mental health and operational stress injuries remain a major concern. As public safety personnel, correctional officers are statistically at the top of the list when it comes to the correlation between occupation and OSIs, yet other Public Safety agencies are provided better options for treatment. Your National Executive was very pleased to learn that Commissioner Dakalbab is very knowledgeable around treatment options for first responders as he previously held the position of Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Public Safety Canada. We advocated for access to OSI clinics and stronger supports. Members need accessible and effective resources—not just discussion.
Administrative & Pay Issues
Ongoing failures in administrative processes continue to affect members directly. Issues with WCB payments, commuting allowances, and system gaps remain unresolved and are causing unnecessary financial and administrative stress. The issues our members are facing were tabled with the employer and we expect timely responses. We will update you as we receive the employer’s responses.
In Solidarity,
Your National Executive
