Your National Executive met with CSC at the National Labour Management Committee and bilateral meetings. This month, the National Executive was pleased to have Erin Barter, Vice President of Grande Cache Institution, with us as an observer, and thank her for her valuable input during the week’s meetings. We pressed the employer on members’ safety, violence, staffing reductions, schedules, equipment, and meaningful consultation. The following are the main updates for members.

Safety and violence in our institutions

Every region reported continuing problems with violence, drugs, contraband and assaults on staff. We told CSC that members need stronger institutional support and meaningful consequences when offenders assault correctional officers. The Commissioner agreed that criminal conduct must be addressed and committed to raising concerns about outside charges with senior public safety officials.

The inmate accountability work is continuing, but important gaps remain. We raised the lack of consultation, outdated charge forms, training needs and the absence of reliable tracking for institutional charges given the changes our members are experiencing in relation to CD 585. CSC indicated that it is also considering supporting new measures that could eventually lead to real consequences and loss of privileges for serious misconduct, along the lines which the union has advocated for decades now. We will remain directly involved and continue pressing for an approach that supports officers and reinforces control inside our institutions.

Comprehensive Expenditure Review reductions and local consultation

The Comprehensive Expenditure Review will affect mobile posts, Structured Intervention Units, detector dog teams and other functions across the country. We told CSC that the cart is well in front of the horse with these decisions as they have been chosen before the operational risks were fully assessed. We reminded the employer of their duty to consult the Institutional Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees to assess the potential risks associated with the cuts to posts in our institutions. The posts being cut each mitigate certain risks, and those risks have not been factored into the thought process of the CSC when they made decisions to save money. 

We asked the Commissioner to give wardens and regional management room to respond to the needs of each institution. He said local solutions will be considered, although the overall budget target will not change. Where local management and UCCO-SACC-CSN agree that a post is required for safety, the evidence must be documented and elevated. Members should continue providing concrete examples to their local representatives so that we can challenge decisions that create unacceptable risks or expose members to acute hazards.

Schedules, staffing, and workforce changes

Current schedule implementations will be completed this month and that a “lessons learned” meeting will follow at the National Scheduling Committee. We will use the lessons learned process to review the Scheduling guidelines as well

 as training needs to address inconsistencies in the schedule development process that we have seen over the last year. We identified some sites that are already threatening schedule amendments given proposed reduction in FTEs and CSC promised to follow up.

Boot allowance and uniform issues

Boot allowance attestations can proceed, and CSC will direct regional management to resolve delayed payments, including outstanding cases in Ontario. We also detailed serious uniform supply problems affecting recruits and serving members. CSC committed to provide uniform samples and work with UCCO-SACC-CSN on an action plan to quickly correct shortages and delays. The reliance on uniform exchange bins, clothing drives, or members having to purchase their own uniform items sends the wrong message and does nothing to restore the pride, professionalism, and respect that should come with serving as peace officer at the Correctional Service of Canada.

Technology and operational pilots

The union asked to be involved from the beginning in CSC discussions about Artificial Intelligence whenever the work may affect correctional officers, reminding the employer of its obligations under article 36 of our Collective Agreement. New technology should not be designed or introduced without input from the members expected to use it or work under it.

CSC also discussed their recent visit to New Brunswick to review the use of body worn cameras. Officers there reported improved inmate behaviour and fewer serious incidents after implementation. Though the union is not objecting to the potential advantages of such a tool, we did object to CSC moving the project forward without meaningful consultation. The union made the position clear that proper consultation of the policy and procedure of this tool is necessary before any cameras are introduced as a pilot program.

After raising concerns over the Smiths detection ion scanner giving faulty and inconsistent readings, the CSC advised the union that Millhaven and Kent Institutions were selected for a pilot project where the company would look to make fixes for the issues that are being experienced.

Miscellaneous

We asked the Employer for an update on several overdue items: its intent with respect to layoffs for the positions it has eliminated (the union requested to base SERLO on CX experience), policies and guidelines with respect to discipline, investigation procedures, overtime, and we agreed to continue meetings to finalize the revision of all memoranda of understanding and human resources bulletins. We reiterated that the employer must consult the union before changing work or job descriptions, and the employer renewed its commitment to do so. We finalized a discussion on pre-retirement schedules, and the employer will provide us with its guidance documents on this issue. We asked CSC to intervene with the Pay Centre, whose misleading responses to our members make it appear as though the employer’s errors in dues collection are the union’s fault. CSC informed us of the implementation of a unit of dedicated and better trained compensation advisors would replace the current ineffective model on September 23rd, 2026, to deal with correctional officer pay issues. The union asked the employer for follow-up on a previous discussion regarding the dog handler job description, and the employer told us that it would soon be ready to consult us in the context of the work description committee described in our Global Agreement. We spoke of inmate accountability, including those who level false accusations toward correctional officers.

Moving Forward

Your National Executive will continue to hold CSC accountable for meaningful consultation before decisions are made, particularly when staffing, safety or working conditions are affected. We will bring members’ concerns directly to the national table, demand clear evidence and operational risk assessments, and push for consistent solutions across every region. We will also continue working to strengthen inmate accountability, improve training and equipment, protect members as new technologies are introduced, and ensure officers receive the support they need to perform their duties safely. Members can support this work by documenting local impacts and sharing specific examples with their UCCO-SACC-CSN representatives.

In Solidarity,

Your National Executive