Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Cheers to Jayne Johns, Fraser Valley Area Council, for forwarding this news item from the Abbotsford News. Chuck is the past President of USGE Local 20054 (Matsqui), as well as being active on the Fraser Valley Area Council, the BC Regional Council and the Regional Health & Safety Committee …

When Matsqui Institution employee Charles Leech read a letter penned by an inmate at Matsqui Institution that showered him with compliments, he said he was “shocked”.

The 55-year-old is retiring in April after working at Matsqui for 30 years as a food services officer. His retirement hasn’t gone unnoticed by one inmate who sent the Abbotsford News a letter paying tribute to Leech.

“It is rare that a group of inmates would want to speak up with respect for a staff member,” the inmate stated. “Being that we are willing to do so speaks volumes for the respect this individual has of the Matsqui Institution population.

“Upon his departure, there is no doubt he will be missed and a hard individual to replace.”

Read the full article, with a photo, at abbynews.com

As victories go, this was a big one. A memorandum of agreement signed October 5th with Correctional Service Canada will see the Penological Factor Allowance restored to the roughly 2,000 USGE members who have been denied the longstanding allowance since the summer of 2005.

The official signing capped a 14-month struggle to see the restoration of PFA. Last July, a joint union-employer fact-finding tour of several British Columbia institutions provided all parties a thorough understanding of the workplace realities faced by the affected members.

“The loss of the PFA was a significant hardship for our members who work in federal correctional institutions” said John Gordon, PSAC National President. “I am proud that PSAC and USGE were successful in restoring the PFA, as it recognizes the dangerous work environment faced by the membership”.

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Earlier this week Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE) members held a workplace demonstration / plantgate at Kent and Mountain Institutions in Agassiz. They distributed leaflets and spoke with people as they arrived for work. Here is one of the leaflets (pdf).

The constant pressure to work harder and longer along with the stress from working outside of their job descriptions has forced USGE members to take action in an effort to bring recognition to their plight. USGE has repeatedly warned management that their bullying tactics in conjunction with their unwillingness to hire appropriate numbers of staff would lead to an unhealthy work environment.

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