Some Community Safety and Correctional Services guards at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre are facing disciplinary measures because of what they wear.
That from Ian Turpin, Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 678 president, representing correctional officers at the ATRC, located at 800 Great Northern Road.
Some of the Remand Centre's guards have begun wearing new issue, dark blue uniform shirts, but the new shirts are not supposed to be officially worn by Community Safety and Correctional Services guards until January 4.
Some guards at the Remand Centre and other correctional institutions across the province have begun wearing the new shirts as a show of support for a guard who was taken hostage during a riot by inmates at the Thunder Bay District Jail December 7.
The guard was injured during the incident but is now recovering.
"We're not sure how long he's going to be out of the workplace…we've done a provincial fundraiser for him to go on vacation with his family because the province doesn't supply any substantial coverage for any kind of post traumatic stress disorder," Turpin told SooToday.
Some of the Remand Centre guards, and others across the province, are also wearing the shirts as a show of solidarity after OPSEU-represented Community Safety and Correctional Services workers rejected a proposed new collective agreement offer from the provincial government (by 67 percent) in a union vote held December 9.
"One of the interesting things is the president of our union, Smokey Thomas, and Steven Small, the deputy minister (Community Safety and Correctional Services) actually visited the Thunder Bay District Jail (to investigate conditions at the jail) and the deputy minister said the new shirts 'looked sharp,' so the deputy minister wasn't making any big deal out of the shirts," Turpin said.
"(But) our superintendent (at the Remand Centre), because we've circumvented the rollout date for the new shirts as a show of solidarity, has decided to start taking names and report them to the ministry and that action can result in those officers being disciplined."
Forms of discipline, Turpin said, could include an employee being sent home without pay and/or a letter of discipline in an employee's file for what would be considered a dress and deportment violation.
However, Annetta Golder, Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre superintendent, speaking to SooToday Tuesday, said none of the staff members at the Remand Centre are facing any kind of disciplinary action for wearing the new shirts ahead of schedule.
"(That is) incorrect information," Golder said.
"There have been no steps or actions taken here, no discussion with any of the staff members regarding the clothing they're wearing."
"There are some institutions (other correctional institutions in Ontario) that are reporting their staff are, in fact, wearing those shirts earlier than what's expected, and we do have some that are doing that (at ATRC)."
"(But) there has been no discussion at all from management or from myself about what they're wearing…I have taken no steps at all to address it," Golder said.
(PHOTO: A new issue dark blue uniform shirt, the kind to be worn by all Community Safety and Correctional Services guards at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre and other institutions in Ontario beginning in January 2016. Photo provided.)