OTTAWA - "The Public Service Alliance of Canada will fight the raid by the Confédération des syndicats nationaux du Québec (CSN) of the federal Correctional Officers because we have demonstrated that we are the best union to represent these 5,000 members," says Nycole Turmel, national president of the PSAC.

The PSAC acknowledges that the Public Services Staff Relations Board (PSSRB) has received the application for certification by the CSN. "This application for certification in no way means that the CSN has signed a majority of our members," underscores Turmel.

The CSN tried unsuccessfully to raid the PSAC members in 1999 and is trying again this year. Widespread pressure tactics have been used by the CSN to get their cards signed. The PSAC will expose and respond to these tactics before the Public Services Staff Relations Board.

"Instead of having a group of union workers taking on their employer to obtain better working conditions, this raid is forcing two unions to fight amongst themselves, and that's unfortunate," explains Lynn Ray, national president of the Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE), the PSAC Component which represent the CX members in the workplace.

"With the release last month of a Joint Comparability Study, a historical report that looked at the working conditions and salaries of the Correctional Officers," explains Lynn Ray, "we are in a very strong position to work with the CXs for a new collective agreement that will recognize their hard work and the fact that they are underpaid and under-valued. With the CSN trying to sway our members, the energy of Correctional Officers is distracted from this very important goal."

The PSAC wants to continue representing Correctional Officers because it knows that it is the best equipped union to do so. "The PSAC has a dedicated regional office structure in every region where Correctional Officers live and work, whereas the CSN has offices in Québec only", says Jérôme Turcq, Regional Executive Vice-President for Québec. "As a result, we are uniquely placed to address the complicated issues Correctional Officers face daily. The PSAC is truly a Canada-wide union with the ability to represent and defend Correctional Officers in their workplaces and communities. Meanwhile, the CSN through this raid, is using, and we would argue abusing, the CX group to try and establish itself outside Québec".

"During the past years, we have committed significant resources to the Correctional Officers to ensure that they are recognized as true professionals in the law enforcement world, and compensated accordingly," concludes Nycole Turmel. "We are ready to continue doing this, because we know this group deserves better salaries and working conditions."

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