At the last round of Component 1 Corrections & Sheriff Services bargaining, the Component 1 bargaining committee was able to negotiate new language for Adult Custody, part-time, regular staff. The new language in section 1 (b) (2) now states: PTR employees daily hours of work will only be extended by mutual agreement between the affected employee and employer.

Master Agreement clause 31.5 sub clause 1, N-12 allows PTR employees to refuse a short change shift requested by the employer without incurring a penalty or a “no contact”. When a PTR refuses to work a short change shift they remain eligible to be recalled for other available work on the same day. Your contract allows you to refuse to work on a day of rest, refuse short change shifts, and refuse to extend a shift, and will have no impact on your seniority. If you do work on a day of rest it is at the applicable overtime rates.

The Component 1 executive has spoken to senior management at all nine jails on the need for each centre to follow the 5 formula, as well as article 3.2 of the Corrections & Sheriffs Component 1 Agreement, which states the averaging period shall not exceed 140 hours in a 28 day period. Following the 5 Formula will ensure that: PTR employees will not be worked more than 1,827 hours in a calendar year resulting in inequitable distribution of overtime; proper days of rest for PTR employees providing family work/life balance; and, PTR employees receive the same respect afforded to all other employees.

Our Component executive strongly encourages PTR staff to follow these provisions of the collective agreement.

We are working closely with senior management in Victoria and locally at all the jails to make sure these types of issues are resolved.

The PTR agreement as well as all other letters, MOU’s, the 5 Formula and MOA’s are posted on the BCGEU web site on the Component 1 resource page.

In solidarity,
 

Dean Purdy, BCGEU vice president

Component 1 Corrections & Sheriffs Services