Issues will be raised during MLA lobby on Wednesday

Correctional officers in British Columbia are paid far less than many of their counterparts across the country, according to information released today by the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) which represents correctional officers in the province.

"The survey information we are releasing today shows that B.C.'s correctional officers are ninth on the list of the level of pay for correctional officers across Canada," said George Heyman, BCGEU president. "In fact, our survey shows that federal correctional officers are paid 31 percent higher than B.C.'s officers."

The survey released by the BCGEU shows:
- Officers in the North West Territories earn $36.28 an hour
- Federal corrections earn $33.67
- Alberta corrections earn $32.67
- B.C.'s correctional officers earn $27.08 per hour.

"Our members are also deeply concerned over their safety and that of the inmates," said Dean Purdy, chair of the union's correctional and sheriff services component. "Overcrowding, double-bunking and more violent inmates has become the routine."

"At the maximum security Vancouver Island Regional Correction Centre (VIRCC) alone, there have been two assaults on staff in the past month and 47 since 2002," said Purdy.

"We are facing an exodus of staff because of the provincial government's unwillingness to take a second look at the wage levels for correctional officers and sheriffs and to address the stressful working conditions including excessive reliance on overtime," said Heyman.

In 2007 the Corrections Branch lost more that 144 staff from provincial correctional centres to mostly other higher paying law enforcement jobs. That is the equivalent of around 12 percent of corrections staff.

"We urge the government to use existing language in the collective agreement that allows for negotiations to deal with special pay adjustments to solve staffing shortages and recruitment and retention issues," said Heyman.

A survey released by the union in early April showed that B.C.'s deputy sheriffs are the lowest paid law enforcement personnel in B.C. Recruitment and retention issues along with court house security are issues sheriffs have raised with the provincial government.

Members of the BCGEU's correctional and sheriffs component will be at the legislature Wednesday to lobby MLAs on these issues.

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For a copy of the survey click here.

Note to media: During the lobby in Victoria, the following can be used for contact:

Dean Purdy, (250) 857-3308 (cell)
Brian Gardiner, (604) 788-1492 (cell)

Contact: Brian Gardiner, BCGEU Communications (604) 291-9611