To all Correctional and Sheriff Services Component members
October 10, 2010

For the second straight year the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre (KRCC) has the worst Workplace Environmental Survey (WES) score out of nine provincial Correctional Centres. This year their score is even worse at 43, compared to last year's score of 47.

The low WES score of 43 supports what the union has been saying for the past couple of years now: There is a poisonous work environment, chronically low staff morale and other problems that must be urgently addressed.

In September 2009, Dean Purdy, Component 1 Chair of the union's Corrections and Sheriff Services and Local 105 Chair Tony Tessari met with senior management in the Adult Corrections Branch to help try and address the issues at this centre. Staff voiced their concerns to Purdy and Tessari about issues that continue to plague their workplace. They were also updated on how the union was going to deal with these issues.

Issues at the Kamloops Centre have been brought up at the KRCC 3.2 Union/ Management meetings, the provincial 3.1 Provincial Joint Union/Management meetings, at the Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General Article 29 Committee meetings, as well as separate meetings with the employer.

In July 2010, the Component Executive held their meeting in Kamloops and toured the jail. "It was clear from our executive after speaking with KRCC members that this jail wasn't like the rest of jails in the Province," said Purdy. Purdy spoke to staff about developing solutions at the worksite and expressed concern as to how bad the environment was at the KRCC jail.

In April 2010, KRCC staff voluntarily took part in the WES survey again. The Public Service Agency says WES results are a way to make change and to show senior government officials what changes need to be made at particular work sites in order to move forward in a positive direction.

Three years ago, the Adult Custody Division shuffled top level management positions at four of the nine Correctional Centres. We were advised this was primarily based on the WES scores and the new direction senior management was moving towards in the Adult Custody Division. The Youth Custody division recently made similar moves based on low WES scores.

At both the Harrison Hot Springs conferences and the staff forums, senior branch management hammered home the message that times have changed, repeatedly stating the old ways of doing business are gone, and that they are bringing in a new modern progressive way to manage that involves staff participation and employee engagement.

“Staff at KRCC would like to buy into this philosophy but are starting to have doubts” says Purdy.

The KRCC's 43 score compares badly to the average score in Adult Corrections (64) and the overall Public Service score (64), as well as some other centre scores, such as Alouette Correctional Centre for Women (75) and the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre (71). The "staffing practices" score of 25 in the KRCC WES gives a clear indication from staff that certain decisions contemplated by the KRCC management are not popular with staff.

The Local 105 executive has been upfront and reasonable and is willing to work to make the workplace better for all KRCC staff.  The Component has kept BCGEU President Darryl Walker informed of the issues at KRCC and he is able to raise the matter with the senior government officials, if needed.

-30-