Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the committee and witnesses on the panel. I'm joined by Éric Thibault, who is the national vice president for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. We both would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
I'd like to begin by expressing condolences on behalf of UCCO-SACC-CSN to all members of the RCMP family for the tragic loss of Heidi Stevenson. I would also like to send our condolences to all of our members, as we have lost two correctional managers, one from Springhill and one from the Nova Institution. It's absolutely tragic times here in Nova Scotia. I'm talking to you from there today, and we'd like to send our condolences.
I'd like to begin by expressing my pride in representing such an incredible group of professionals, who continue to fulfill their mandate in the face of this invisible threat, COVID-19. Our members, who on a daily basis enter one of the most dangerous workplaces in Canada, bravely continue this work and with an additional personal risk. For that they must be commended.
The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, UCCO-SACC-CSN, and the correctional officers we represent have only ever asked one thing from this government outside of our negotiations, and that is to have the protections in place to make sure that all the dangers to our health and safety are mitigated to every extent possible. With this threat, UCCO-SACC-CSN has called for added protection in the form of personal protective equipment, virus testing of all front-line workers and involvement in the contingency planning process at the local level and regional and national levels. Contemplating and preparing for what-if scenarios are essentially part of a correctional officer's DNA. Unfortunately this virus has created many of these scenarios, and many questions remain unanswered for the vast majority of our membership.
With regard to personal protective equipment, over one short month there has been a significant shift in culture for mask wearing in our institutions. The beginning of this crisis saw our members threatened with discipline for donning PPE in the form of masks if they did so under their own assessment of risk. There were also work refusals on this issue. Correctional Service Canada's position was that only they could assess the risk, and they were worried that wearing a mask could elicit fear among the inmate population. Now the opposite is true. In just one short month, discipline is now being threatened if a mask is not worn routinely if physical distancing is not an option.
This example may be dramatic; however, it illustrates a complete culture shift over a very short period of time resulting from a continued push from the union to do everything possible to mitigate risk. I simply don't understand how this was not communicated during the whole contingency planning process.
Our conversations around COVID-19 began with the Correctional Service on February 6 during our regular national labour management meeting. On this date, it was communicated to us by the Public Health Agency of Canada that the risk was determined to be low for the coronavirus. Looking back at that particular meeting, I don't believe either side of the table could have predicted how our lives would change within one short month.
On March 9, an initial conversation took place with senior management over some steps that CSC was taking to prepare for the virus as the threat to Canadians was increasing. These initial steps included screening visitors who may have travelled or who otherwise showed symptoms, local contingency planning and inventory for PPE and procurement. Just two days later, the Prime Minister announced budgetary measures for a response to COVID-19 and we began to see restrictions put in some provinces as states of emergency were declared.
The week of March 16, UCCO-SACC-CSN quickly adapted to the reality we are seeing today. We set up regular teleconferences and video conferences to keep the communication open with both CSC and the National Joint Council. Since that day, ongoing and regular discussions about all issues have taken place, as well as countless bilateral telephone calls, to solve issues that seem to crop up daily. In my history as a union leader, I would characterize the past month as unprecedented with respect to the consultation and joint efforts to tackle the common issue of COVID-19.
It was on March 26 that we learned of our first confirmed case of COVID-19. One of our members working at Port-Cartier Institution contracted the virus through community transmission some time between March 9 and March 14 and inadvertently spread the virus while asymptomatic. It was over the next days that we learned first-hand how incredibly viral COVID-19 is, as the number of positive cases grew within only a few days.
During this time there was a significant amount of work done by all parties to reduce further spread. Contingency measures were both developed and put in place. The institution, however, did experience a dramatic staffing issue within hours, as many correctional officers were directed to quarantine as a result of public health advice during the contact tracing investigations.
On April 2, I sent a letter to the public safety minister, Bill Blair, regarding an urgent need to have testing available for correctional officers. Though the advice from public health is sound advice to mitigate spread, sending a significant portion of the front line home to self-isolate has a direct negative impact for all those staff who remain.
Since the federal Emergencies Act has not been declared in force, all parameters around testing for COVID-19 remain under provincial jurisdiction. This has resulted in different responses to our members' eligibility to receive the testing across the country. Affected sites have been forced to find creative solutions through scheduling and voluntary workplace change to simply hold the front line. With a broader scope for testing, members who may be asymptomatic could, in fact, be tested, and if determined negative for the virus, report back to work much sooner than a 14-day quarantine. This remains a significant issue, as we see the virus continue to infiltrate our institutions.
Currently we have four sites experiencing significant staffing difficulties. These sites are the Centre fédéral de formation, Joliette Institution and Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec, as well as Mission Institution in British Columbia. These institutions would greatly benefit from quick and ongoing testing of both inmates and staff.
UCCO-SACC-CSN has continually called on the government and our employer to make testing available for staff, as it's simply not a reality that we can stay home. There must be an exception for federal employees critical to the public service, without the need for the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act.
As we're all aware, the spread of this virus happens when people don't have the ability to distance themselves from one another. Self-isolation has proven to be an issue in some of our facilities. Single occupancy cells, which are equipped with a toilet and running water, allow inmates to easily self-isolate. However, there are many institutions that are designed with a communal living space approach, and they lack proper cells for isolation. The latter designed units are great for rehabilitation and for a sense of community, but they are a detriment in the crisis that we face today. Infrastructure, or a lack thereof, directly impacts a local plan of attack if the virus enters the facility.
There are other challenges as well. Some institutions are in very remote locations. The ability to draw staff from one institution to work in another becomes increasingly difficult when they are secluded institutions such as Port-Cartier or Grande Cache. These are challenges that become unique, and they must be thought about when building contingencies.
It's commendable that our government has essentially handed the reins of this crisis to the scientists and public health officials. In a crisis such as this, it becomes very clear that the government's role has seemed to shift from a legislative body to a support mechanism for decisions made by Canada's health professionals and scientists. In any crisis, trust should always be put in the hands of the professionals.
That said, while we have found that CSC has generally heeded the advice of public health, they have also, at times, ignored that advice due to staffing issues or issues around potential overtime costs. We have had members who were told to return to work after exposure and testing but before the results were back, and that places staff and other inmates at risk.
Again, had consultations and contingencies been thoroughly examined at the onset of this virus, we would likely not be in this position today. Had CSC listened to their front-line staff, had the government heard our plea for easier testing, we may not be in the dire situation we find ourselves in today at some institutions in this country.
In conclusion, it's important to say that the world was not ready for this pandemic. Hindsight is always perfect. However, had proper steps been taken when the seriousness of this virus started to be widely known, many of our institutions would have been much more prepared. The deadly virus requires a proactive and strong response. A response that is reactive and slow to adjust only places staff, inmates and the general public at further risk.
I thank you and welcome any questions the committee has.