Sudbury jail workers protest 'dangerous' working conditions
Crumbling building, lack of training and low staff levels put jail workers at risk, says union rep
About a dozen corrections officers at the jail in Sudbury, Ont. rallied in the rain on Thursday to express their frustration over what they call an unsafe workplace.
The 95 staff at the jail have been without a contract since November 2014, and this week their union rejected a proposed contract from the province.
The jail guards are working in dangerous conditions, in a building plagued by mice, leaky walls, and bad air quality, said Nathan Aubin, president of the Sudbury chapter of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, and an employee at the facility.
"We have mice. A significant mice population. Probably more mice than we have offenders," said Aubin.
"And the solutions being presented to us are Band-Aid type solutions."
Workers are also struggling to deal with violent offenders, and mentally ill inmates, said Aubin. He said training and staff levels are not adequate to deal with the situation.
"Violence in institutions is there and it's always been there," but cuts to staffing have caused work to become "dangerous," he said.
Aubin said that correctional workers are not considered an essential service, so in the case of a strike administration and staff would have to keep working without the protection of guards.
In a statement, the province said it was disappointed with the union's rejection of its proposed contract.
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services said it remains committed to the collective bargaining process and is now considering next steps.