RVP ACTIVITIES REPORT

March 2008

It has been my pleasure to serve the members of the Union of Solicitor General Employees in Ontario for the last three years. It has been a time of many challenges, many rewards and an experience full of learning opportunities and occasions to meet new people and forge new relationships.

I was honoured to be elected as RVP (O) in 2005, and as you can appreciate, I experienced a very steep learning curve from that moment on. I had a tough act to follow – my predecessor, John Edmunds, assumed the position of National President, and I could imagine the inevitable comparisons.

However, under my leadership, the members in Ontario have continued to press their issues with management at both Local and Regional levels, experiencing both victories and disappointments, but never tossing in the towel, or failing to provide unwavering support to either their own local leaders, or myself. They make me proud.

My responsibilities as RVP include chairing Local Presidents meeting and continuing the tradition of bringing them together a day ahead of the Regional Labour Management meetings. Our communication initiative remains in place, and meeting minutes are posted on the USGE Ontario website.

Training is ongoing, and I have benefited greatly from participation in courses dealing with changes to legislation, staffing issues, harassment and other topics of interest. Because we are involved in Collective Bargaining at this time, I attended a Strike Preparation course for members in January 2008 in London and Ottawa. I continue to be involved in the Regional Joint Occupational Safety and Health Committee, sitting as the Regional Co Chair. Additionally, I sit on the National USGE Health and Safety Committee, and in the same vein, I sit on the National Return to Work/Accommodation Committee, and have attended meetings and conferences for both.

On three occasions I was happy to meet with the Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Mr. Rob Sampson who was tasked with reporting to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day on the state of Correction in Canada. My role was to ensure that the concerns of USGE members working in both institutions and the community were heard. That report has now been released with one hundred and nine recommendations in five different categories, recommendations that will impact our membership in a positive way if they are implemented as recommended.

I am happy to report that as a result of a concerted effort with management at the Regional level, the backlog of member grievances has been dramatically reduced. We have managed to work through more than seventy five percent of the grievances that predate 2006. This area of responsibility has chronically been a source of frustration, but I am pleased to see a commitment from management that the situation be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. We are anxiously awaiting the implementation of a revised grievance hierarchy, one in which the Wardens become more accountable in the process, allowing for a more localized and immediate solution to problems.

There continue to be ongoing issues related to staffing in the Ontario Region. We continue to struggle particularly around the length of time it takes to finalize a competition, and the number of actors in positions around the Region and the domino effect this has on the membership. We are happy to report that we have had some success in lobbying Regional Management to undertake some of our suggestions with regard to resolving these problems, which has resulted in some improvements.

Other issues include monitoring and filling “true” vacancies and monitoring and enforcing the recommendations of the Wosniak Report with respect to inmate/Parole Officer ratios, especially in female institutions. This resulted in the creation of two additional Parole Officer positions.

Additionally, we were successful in rolling over three term employees to full time indeterminate status in Beaver Creek, Millhaven and Warkworth. We continue to monitor closely any term employee who is approaching the conversion date to ensure they are not overlooked.

The Ontario Region has not been without sensational incidents. Currently, there is an investigation ongoing at Grand Valley Institution. While this involves chiefly Union of Canadian Correction Officers members, it has a huge impact on our USGE members who work closely with their uniformed colleagues. I have spent considerable time at GVI ensuring that our member’s rights are protected and that they are aware of resources and supportive services that are available to them.

USGE members have also participated in information pickets in support of the No Zone campaign and our Table 2/Operational Public Service Alliance of Canada members wherever they may be employed.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit every institution in the Region. It is a pleasure to get together with Local Executives and strategize about activities and initiatives that enable them to enhance their presence and their effectiveness at their level. By doing so, we can continue to monitor Local managers to ensure that they follow the rules and to intervene promptly when they deviate from those rules.

Other meetings and conferences I have attended include commissioning meetings for Collins Bay Institution as preparations are underway to open to redesigned and rebuilt facility in April 2008. I have also attended the USGE National Executive Meetings, most recently in July/August 2007 in Quebec City, the Public Service Alliance of Canada Triennial Convention in April/May 2006, and PSAC Phase II Leadership Training in Toronto in November 2007, and the PSAC Regional Conference in May 2008.

At this time I would like to acknowledge and thank my alternate, Byron Duguay for his invaluable assistance and advice on many, many occasions. He was ready and willing to fill in for me during those times when I was unavailable, and his commitment to the members and to union principles is unsurpassed.

I would also like to thank the staff of the Union of Solicitor General Employees in our Ottawa headquarters, and the staff of the PSAC Regional Office in Kingston. Without the support and assistance of these committed and dedicated people, my job would be a whole lot harder.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as Regional Vice President for Ontario. It has been a very satisfying experience, and with your support, I hope to continue to serve the membership in this capacity for another term. I thank you for your words of encouragement, your advice, and even your criticism. It has allowed me to grow with this position and for that, I am truly grateful.