Strike looming for Corrections workers locally and across Ontario

The clock continues ticking towards a strike involving correctional officers and probation and parole officers in Ontario, including those locally.

They will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 Sunday morning.

Regional OPSEU Executive Board Member Mike Bisaillon says the biggest sticking points are the condition inside correctional facilities while he says staffing is at a “crisis point”.

He says that leads to lockdowns, which cut the inmates off from family visits or phone calls.

Meantime, Bisaillon says he has real concerns with managers in other departments taking over roles within corrections, in the event of a strike.

Bisaillon also says probation and parole officers in Ontario have the highest caseloads of any province in Canada.

He says to bring in other managers to replace them, when they’re already at the crisis point, is a “fallacy”.

Bisaillon also says they are not optimistic about any last minute talks, saying the ministry has spent a lot of time getting ready for a strike.

He also says while the province may be ready, they too are ready for a strike.