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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 14, 2009 - 5 Parole officers want same wage increase as police Continued from page 1 offenders, domestic assault cases, drug dealers, we don't have time to protect the community properly." Longhi said each probation and parole officer currently keeps track of between 80-90 offenders. He is calling on the government to add more staff to help deal with these numbers. "To bring the case loads down to a more manageable level I would think we'd need about 200 more officers province wide," said Longhi. "That's probably a conservative guess." Longhi also wants the government to close the wage increase gap between police officers and probation and parole officers, noting that while police get a 27 per cent increase over three years, probation and parole officers only receive a 7.75 per cent increase over four years. "We're responsible for the very offenders that the police arrest. We spend far more time with them than the police ever do. We work with them on a social work basis," said Longhi. "We're all required to have university education, something police officers are not required to have. Most of us have university educations specific to the field of criminology or social work. We undergo an extensive training program through our ministry and it takes us about seven years to reach the top of our categories in probation and parole. We lay charges in the courts, the same as police officers do, and moreover we write extensive social biographies on the offenders that are often what judges use in making determinations for sentencing. So we've always been on par with the OPP," said Longhi. A probation/parole officer's salary begins at $41,000 a year, increasing to $69,000 over eight years while an OPP cadet begins their career at $32,000 a year, increasing to $76,000 when they become a first class constable in three years. While the probation and parole officers have contract grievances of their own, Longhi noted, they are also expressing solidarity with others in the corrections service. "We're concerned that we're going to be forced out on a strike by the government because they've dug in their heels on correctional officers' sick time," said Longhi. The government cracked down on correctional officer's sick time after an auditor general's report found that Ontario's prison guards were taking an average of 32 sick days a year, costing the province around $20 million. Under the collective agreement currently being offered, correctional officers would be limited to five sick days a year beyond which they would need the permission of an insurance company. While the provincial government would not comment on the specific issues surrounding the protest Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn stated that the province is eager to return to the negotiating table. "I think we've got a reputation as a government that truly values the input of its public servants. Now that doesn't preclude hard bargaining. I'd expect the public servants to drive a hard bargain with us and that's what they appear to be doing," said Flynn. "That's all part of a good professional relationship. OPSEU is there to strike the best bargain it possibly can under the current economic conditions. We're there to protect the inter- ests of the taxpayers while still expressing our feelings that we have some terrific public servants in Ontario." OPSEU members will vote on the govern- ment's collective agreement offer on Jan. 27-29. Currently the Corrections Bargaining Unit is calling on its members to reject the agreement and vote instead to strike. Year End Inventory Clearance Buy More, Save More at Garvey's 25-60 OFF Dress Shirts % Over 350 Shirts On Sale Final Reductions Won't Last Long Buy 2 save an additional $ 20 .00 30 .00 $ Buy 3 save an additional $ Canali, Robert Talbott and Ermenegildo Zegna Dress Shirts Regular $250 NOW ONLY 99 .99 MORE SAVINGS STORE-WIDE! DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE 183 Lakeshore Road East · 905.845.8911 MON-WED 9-6 · THU-FRI 9-8 · SAT 9-6 · SUN 12-5 Free parking at the rear of store www.garveys.ca