Huffington Post
EDMONTON — A massive illegal strike of jail guards that was sparked by the suspension of two workers and spread to correctional facilities across Alberta came to an end Tuesday night.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees announced in a news release it had struck a deal with the provincial government to get workers back on the job by Wednesday morning.
“Over the last five days, Albertans and Canadians have been made explicitly aware of the health and safety concerns of front-line correctional peace officers,” said union president Guy Smith.
“These officers do a demanding job, in a challenging environment and do so proudly. These officers need to know when they are on duty that their health and safety is protected and that the concerns they raise will be addressed seriously.”
Smith said the agreement specifies the government will hold an occupational health and safety review to investigate concerns that have been raised about the new $580-million Edmonton Remand Centre.
The deal also guarantees there will be no retribution for individual workers who have been involved with the strike.
The end of the strike comes after a Court of Queen’s Bench justice fined the union $100,000 Monday night, a penalty that increased to $350,000 at noon Tuesday.
The union had been told that fine would jump to $500,000 on Wednesday and climb by half a million dollars each day after that.
The strike began last Friday when two workers voiced their concerns about safety at the new remand facility, which took in its first batch of 800 inmates earlier this month.
Their colleagues set up a picket line and refused to report for work, saying the workers had been disciplined unfairly.
Full story: Jail Guards Strike: Alberta Corrections Officers To Return To Work On Wednesday