January 28th – National President David Neufeld and Regional Vice-President Patrick Ménard (CSC Québec) visited the Federal Training Center (FTC) located in Laval, Québec. This was President Neufeld’s first visit to the FTC. Local President Patrick Tétrault (USJE local 10024) welcomed the USJE representatives and led the visit.
The Federal Training Centre is the oldest institution still in operation in Québec Region. Inaugurated in 1932, the institution received its first inmates in 1952. In April 2014, the Federal Training Centre was merged, hence the two civic addresses: one multi-level security (minimum/medium) site located at 6099 boul. Lévesque Est, and a second minimum security site (formerly Montée-St-François Institution) located at 600 Montée St-François in Laval. Given the large size of the site, President Neufeld and RVP Ménard were only able to visit a portion of the minimum/medium site. A second visit of the site later this year is planned.
The USJE representatives were welcomed by members of the case management team who shared their experiences at the operational site. Many of these testimonies reflected the pressures witnessed at other institutional sites across Canada that include high caseloads, no backfill when members are on leave and a lack of flexibility around telework.
When speaking to members of the Parole Officer/Manager of Assessment Intervention group, it was clear that the way that cases are being assigned causes a great deal of stress and pressure on our members. Parole Officers reported that their caseloads include a combination of intake assessments cases and general case supervision duties. This method of work assignment often leads to inefficiencies due to the nature of the assigned responsibilities and changing offender population. It is interesting to note that the FTC is an institution that receives many Inuit offenders. Members reported that there is a lack of Inuktituk interpretation services and Elder support to work with these Inuit offenders. Parole Officers also deplored the increasing demands of the job which includes duties that have been implemented over the past 10 years since the Deficit Reduction Action Plan. President Neufeld and RVP Ménard will take these concerns back to the Joint National Workload Review Committee for further discussion and examination in the context of Parole Officer workload in the coming weeks.
The USJE representatives then met with members in Correctional Programs and spent time to better understand the challenges that those members face. Members shared that the number of program sessions have increased from 5 to 6 per week and affects their mental health and overall well-being. They spoke to the value that hybrid work during the pandemic and how there is virtually no flexibility as it relates to hybrid work and writing correctional reports at home. President Neufeld and RVP Ménard shared information relating to the ongoing efforts of the PSAC and USJE on hybrid work and our unions call to “scrap the mandate”. The members were clear that they felt a nuanced and flexible approach would help to improve their overall working conditions and wellbeing. This is something that USJE will continue to fight for in the future for all members that can do a portion of their duties off site or at home.
The USJE representatives also engaged the Correctional Program Officers on issues related to collective bargaining and provided an update on the recent USJE Regional Bargaining Conferences across the country. One demand that stood out from this discussion was around the requirement for ongoing Program Officer recertification and how this process puts a great deal of stress on our members. RVP Ménard identified that our members said the same thing during our Regional Bargaining Conferences and that the removal of this requirement is a top 25 demand for USJE members in the PA Table. The Officers were very pleased to hear this update.
While touring the building where the Correctional Program Officers work, it was noted that the building is experiencing some significant structural issues due to the aging infrastructure. The members expressed concerns about leaking pipes and the lack of adequate heating and cooling during the changing seasons. These are issues that remain under review at the local occupational health and safety committee and will be followed up on by RVP Ménard.
President Neufeld and RVP Ménard would like to thank Local President Patrick Tétrault and the members of the FTC for their engagement during the visit. It is anticipated that both President Neufeld and RVP Ménard will be able to use the information obtained during the visit to advocate for better working conditions for these members.