Correctional Officers OPSEU local flag (Photo by Maureen Revait) Correctional Officers OPSEU local flag (Photo by Maureen Revait)
Chatham

Corrections Not Liking New Deal

Correctional workers are being encouraged to turn down a recent contract offer from the province, as ratification voting starts Tuesday.

OPSEU Local 135 President Randy Simpraga says he and other union executives feel the three-year agreement is full of empty promises.

"The last go-around in bargaining we were told, 'We'll take our zeroes and next time we'll get something.' Well, here's next time," Simpraga explains. "Enough's enough. There is a crisis within corrections. Assaults have quadrupled since a few years ago."

The union leader says Ontario refuses to deem corrections an essential service, which is a sticking point for OPSEU.

He hopes the union's bargaining team will reach out to a conciliator after votes are tallied Tuesday and Wednesday, and get back to the table with the province. However, either side could call a no board report after results are final, which would activate a strike 17 days later.

OPSEU Local 135 represents 260 members in Windsor-Essex.

The union's been without a contract since December 31, 2014.

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