Members Letter to Premier Wynne

Today I was sent a letter from a member. I thought I would share it in its original form. Please read and share. I would love to see this printed in the Newspapers. It says it all when it comes to how this Government treats its employees.

An Open Letter to Premier Wynne from a Sick Corrections Officer

Ms. Wynne:

After years of exemplary attendance, I called in sick today and I have been asked by one of your public servants for a note from my doctor telling him “Why you’re sick”.  I explained that I would not be able to get to see my doctor immediately and, by the time I was, he would have no idea why I was sick other than what I would tell him.  Unlike my employer, I’m sure he would take me at my word.  At this suggestion, I was told that I should go to emergency to see a doctor.  I replied I had no intention of sitting in emergency for hours, as this would do nothing to help me.  I did assure your manager, that he would get his note.  As it will take some time to get this, here are my personal thoughts in the hope that it will serve some cathartic benefit to my poor health. 

Why am I sick?

I am sick because every day this week, and earlier last year, I walked down the driveway to my place of employment and saw hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money being wasted to provide accommodations for managers in the event of a labour dispute. Work that began before labour negotiations were even initiated.  First it was utility hookups in 2014 before we even began bargaining, then this week one trailer, then 3, then 5 and now 7 have rolled into our parking spaces.  If your intent was to foment anger it was a very effective policy.  I humbly suggest that a better policy would have been to negotiate in good faith.

I am sick because your government can’t seem to do anything to provide a fair contract and safe working conditions for your employees and yet you so readily waste millions of dollars in a completely unnecessary battle of wills.  I have heard over $100,000,000 so far to prevent about 6,200 from getting a fair contract.  That’s about $ 16,129 per person and the real spending hasn’t even started.

I am sick that because they don’t have a union to protect them, managers are to remain in the institutions.  You think that providing scabs for backup will make it better for them when, in fact, it will put them in further danger. Pay at double time and a half doesn’t do you much good, when you’re separated from your family, at work around the clock, broken down from stress, or worse, injured while working under unsafe conditions. It is why I have personally chosen not to work any overtime despite a staffing shortage.

I am sick that in the event of a strike, nurses, cooks, office staff, and maintenance staff will remain behind in this unsafe environment as well.

I am sick because when it was clearly obvious many years ago that there would be a severe shortage of staff coming, the government’s decision was to put in place a hiring freeze, forcing us to the point where we are short staffed almost every working day.  More recently, further wage reductions at the entry level were ratified, reducing incentives to work in the field of corrections. How does this help?

I am sick because since I started my career in corrections the offender population in my institution has tripled. Nothing much else has been put in place to deal with this effectively, not staffing, not infrastructure.  The use of the term Corrections in naming this ministry is a farce.  Many days we can’t even get the garbage out.  Yes, we have a few lazy staff as do all workplaces, but mostly they’re just worn out and beaten down from trying to do too much with too little. 

I am sick because accommodating three to four people in a cell not much larger than most home bathrooms, often locked down for days, cannot do much to affect rehabilitation.  I never foresaw a day when I would feel sorry for any offender.  It has come.

I am sick because the behavioural sink created within our institutions has created an unnecessarily dangerous environment within which to work. 

I am sick because the situation this government has created will likely result in good people being hurt.

I could go on, but I’m feeling a little bit better now.

And finally, I am sick because there were a lot of illnesses within the disgusting third-world environment where I work, and I was unfortunate enough to pick something up.  I slept in until 10:30 in the morning after my evening shift and woke up with a sore throat, achy all over and a headache.  This is the point where I called in sick.  The request for a doctor’s note did nothing to help me feel better, only make me feel angrier.  I haven’t been asked for one since I was in public school and I’ve grown up since then.  I count the days and thank God I retire soon.  Such governance makes me feel sick and tired all the time.

A note from my doctor will follow, as requested.

Your faithful public servant,

John Haller CO2