As you may be aware, Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre (KRCC) management has recently implemented a new sick time protocol when Correctional Officers at KRCC book off sick. Management is now requiring these members to call in twice to have their sick time approved or they will not be paid: the first phone call to the supervisor and a second, follow-up call to a manager. 

This same policy may also be implemented at other jails around the province. To be perfectly clear, your union did not agree to this at our recent joint/union management 3.1 committee meeting, and in fact we pushed back very hard on this. This new policy does not align with the collective agreement or the provisions for sick leave. We are asking the employer to rescind it immediately.

We are not aware of any other employers following this same juvenile practice and this will only exasperate an already severe recruitment and retention problem that exists within Adult Custody Corrections. Treating our members like this is not the way to fix this issue.

For background, our union dealt with this same issue in 2012. We promptly alerted the employer and strongly objected the erroneous new policy. The issue was then resolved as the Provincial Director agreed that Correctional Officers in fact do not have to call in twice when booking off sick. For details, please see the correspondence between Darryl Walker, former BCGEU President, and the Provincial Director of BC Corrections. The Provincial Director replied to Walker's letter and acknowledged the misunderstanding, ensuring that the error had been rectified. The BCGEU issued this bulletin to members at the time.

The employer has gone back on the agreed-upon process for reporting sick leave. Your union is reviewing all available options and will keep you updated as the situation progresses.

As we reminded members the last time this occurred, sick time and special leaves are with pay as an entitlement under the contract and cannot be deemed without pay at the employer's discretion. If they deny you your sick time benefits pay, you should grieve this immediately with a shop steward at your jail.

In solidarity,

Dean Purdy
Component 1 Vice President
Corrections & Sheriff Services

BCGEU

UWU/MoveUP