Correctional workers held a rally on July 9th in Toronto outside of the Sheraton Hotel, as their bargaining team returned to the table with the employer.
The Correctional Bargaining Unit served notice to bargain in October 2024, prior to the expiry of their collective agreement on December 31, 2024. The bargaining team has been at the table working hard to negotiate a new agreement that focuses on the unique needs of correctional workers and addresses recruitment and retention challenges, excessive workload, and the significant wage disparity across multiple classifications.
Across Ontario, correctional institutions and youth justice facilities are understaffed and overcrowded, leading to a rise in workplace violence and the impossible task of trying to meet legislative requirements. Probation and Parole offices are grappling with unsustainable staffing levels, high turnover and burnout. Workers at all locations are dealing with excessive workloads as the number of adults and youth in the correctional system continues to rise. Staffing levels and infrastructure have simply not kept pace with this growing need.
These conditions are unsafe for workers, inmates, and Ontario’s communities. Correctional workers have been sounding the alarm and calling for change for years. Instead, they’ve been met with worsening conditions. This has led to significant mental health impacts for OPSEU/SEFPO members who continue to work in these challenging conditions with limited access to psychological supports.
At the rally, we heard firsthand from members on the toll correctional work takes on them and their families. Rather than acknowledging the need for significant investment in mental health supports, the employer’s response has been to slap a band-aid on the problem while seeking significant concessions. Our message is clear – correctional worker mental health matters and members will not accept tradeoffs or concessions for their health!
We also heard personal accounts on the impacts of not earning a living wage and needing to take on a second job just to pay the bills. Correctional workers know the realities of their jobs better than anyone. They have put forward solutions to improve retention, address excessive workloads, and fix the significant wage disparity across multiple classifications.
Thanks to the widespread show of solidarity from OPSEU/SEFPO’s Correctional Bargaining Unit and allies, our message was impossible for the employer to ignore.
Correctional workers deserve a fair contract that respects their work and creates a safe environment for all.
This is the time for solutions – not concessions – and the Correctional Bargaining Unit is committed to negotiating a collective agreement that addresses the unique needs to correctional workers.
Watch OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick speak at the bargaining rally.