Attacks with bodily fluids are not a normal condition of employment

RENOUS, NB, March 3, 2016 /CNW/ - The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO-SACC-CSN) denounces an unacceptable situation taking place at Atlantic Institution in New Brunswick.  Over the past several weeks, inmates at this institution have attacked Correctional Officers with bodily fluids, meaning officers have been sprayed with blood, urine, sperm or excrement, without knowing if an inmate carries a potential life threatening disease.

This is why a demonstration involving dozens of Correctional Officers is taking place at Atlantic Institution in Renous.

Though UCCO-SACC-CSN continues to push for a blood samples act, which would unveil an inmate's medical information in such an attack, officers continue to live in the dark. Since correctional officers do not have the right to know an inmate's medical history after such an attack we live with intense stress for several weeks before we are in fact tested for potential life threatening disease.

WorkSafeNB (WSNB) rejected our members' complaints. "They say these attacks are part of the conditions of employment. In a letter to WSNB, a member of the management team at Atlantic Institution stated that this type of attack was not covered, as it is inherent to our work. In other words, it is normal, according to this manager, to be hit in the face by blood, urine, sperm or excrement. This is unacceptable. We are outraged at this lack of consideration by the management team," explains Doug White, UCCO-SACC-CSN Atlantic Regional President.

Lack of respect

UCCO-SACC-CSN considers this affirmation as disrespectful and it will not tolerate our members being unsupported during these types of inmate attacks.  The fact that we are not being supported by our management team and WSNB, we are in fact being attacked twice.

Even the justice recognized the serious of those attacks by adding 5 years to the sentence of one of the inmates involved in those situations.

Therefore, we ask WSNB to reconsider its decisions on cases of this nature already submitted along with future claims.  We also demand that our Management team supports its employees, and sit down with the local UCCO-SACC-CSN executive to establish an action plan which will address and stop these attacks from inmates.

"Something must be done immediately. Our members should not be exposed to these assaults any longer. It is not only unbearable for us, but for our families who must also live with the stress of not knowing if we have been contaminated by a sick inmate," concludes Mr. White.

SOURCE CSN

Information: Dave Parent, advisor, CSN Information Service, [phone]