August 15, 2024 – National President David Neufeld and RVP Patrick Ménard visited USJE members working at the La Macaza Institution in the Hautes-Laurentides region. This visit, which was led by shop steward Chantal Girouard, a Parole Officer at the establishment, also included two representatives from the national office: Sharon Aspirot, Labour Relations Officer for Québec, and Sébastien Bezeau, Director of Communications.
President Neufeld’s very first visit to the institution, situated two hours north of Montréal, was an opportunity for USJE elected officials to discuss with members their concerns and to provide updates on several current issues, such as the budget cuts announced earlier in the week by the Trudeau government. Above all, the visit was a chance to emphasize to all members how important it is to list their demands for the next round of negotiations, coming up soon.
The visit started in the kitchens, where President Neufeld was able to talk with FOS members about the grievance filed by PSAC concerning the training premium for inmates. This demand is a major concern waiting to be developed.
The tour continued with a meeting with Correctional Programs Officers who are having serious difficulties with the requirements of the certification program. This program imposes very tight updating cycles for each program that are hard for officers to meet in a mandatory recertification process that is continually being renewed Essentially, this process weakens job security and locks officers into a perpetual probation period. This issue adds to the steeper and steeper increase in workload that USJE has been criticizing for years.
During the lunch break, the group met with Parole Officers, along with two Assessment and Intervention Managers. The discussion centered on the challenges linked to the untenable workloads at Correctional Services. The USJE officials took the opportunity to remind members that the union wants to track closely any changes resulting from the budget cuts announced by the Liberals, so these need to be noted and passed on.
Before ending the visit in the cellblock, the USJE representatives had the chance to tour La Macaza’s print shop, which is part of the CORCAN program and is where four members work. These members’ main complaint was with the Phoenix payroll system fiasco, which is still affecting them, as well as the grievance in principle concerning the training premium for inmates.
President Neufeld and the USJE team are very grateful to RVP Ménard and Shop Steward Girouard for this visit marked by many memorable encounters.