The provincial government has confirmed that the hours of work for 28 auxiliary and 24 part-time sheriffs, primarily in the Lower Mainland, have been restored, according to the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).  The union was notified this afternoon.

Overtime

Your Component Executive is deeply concerned that the employer is now using overtime to make up for a lack of Sheriffs, and at an even greater cost to the government.

Please click here for a bulletin about Public Safety designation for pensions. 

Deputy Sheriffs around the province are having their hours cut dramatically by the provincial government, which will cause more problems keeping courts running, according to the BCGEU.

Provincial government employees and other public sector workers in the province cannot accept more years of wage freezes, says Darryl Walker, president of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).

The Union recently concluded a settlement of a policy grievance concerning the denial of STIIP claims.  The settlement resolves two issues that were particularly problematic for  members.

June 4th, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Poco Inn and Suites Hotel & Convention Centre
Meeting Room:  Salon B

Overcrowding in B.C.'s jails was the key issue discussed at a May 17 meeting between the BCGEU and Shirley Bond, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Representing the union was union president Darryl Walker, Dean Purdy, Chair of Component 1, Dave Vipond, Director and Mike Eso, Staff Representative.

"We have made it clear to the government that the serious overcrowding issues in existing facilities has led to increased tension and violence against correctional officers," said Walker. "While the building of a new jail in the Okanagan will help alleviate some of the overcrowding, there are still overcrowding issues to deal with."

The BCGEU has been raising concerns about overcrowded jails for months and has pointed to other problems in the correctional system.

"The government policy of having one correctional officer working alone in a living unit with 60 inmates is far too dangerous and has to change”, said Purdy.

"The minister has agreed to a tour of one of our correctional centres and to review the policy on officer-to-inmate ratios. She stated that she is concerned with our safety," said Purdy. "The overcrowding and violence in our jails has led to a situation where a correctional officer may be killed, and that cannot happen."

Purdy pointed out that there have been three assaults at jails on correctional officers in the past 24 hours. There have been seven assaults on officers at the maximum security Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre in the past two months, and 76 assaults since 2003. At the maximum security North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam there have been several assaults in the past few months and 37 since 2009.

"We made it clear to the minister that the violence has to end. I am pleased that she has agreed to visit a facility and meet with our members to get first-hand an account of the dangerous situation we face everyday," said Purdy.

Also addressed in the meeting was the impacts of the federal government's "tough on crime"

The shortage of sheriffs in provincial court houses was raised in Question Period in the Legislature on Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Below is the exchange between the Opposition and the government.