November is National Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month. Keeping us safe is a passion for thousands of OPSEU/SEFPO members in our Correctional Division.
Every day, these dedicated women and men who work in Correctional Institutions and in our communities put their lives on the line to ensure we are safe.
OPSEU/SEFPO is pleased that our efforts to ensure government recognizes the challenges our members face continue to pay off. This year we have seen the government move to hire 500 new corrections staff and commit to some major infrastructure projects at correctional facilities. Just last week the government announced that new Ontario corrections recruits will now be paid during their training period. Correctional leadership pushed to make this happen and the recently-released Ontario budget made it a reality. It was the right thing to do and will help with recruiting the right people for a difficult and essential job.
We were also pleased to work with corrections leadership to ensure proper and effective protocols were put in place related to health and safety, including access to PPE.
The work never ends, but we know we are on the right track with government. We have its attention and we will not take our foot off the pedal to improve the working lives of all those who keep us safe. To all the women and men in corrections: Thank you!