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OCSEA members are also involved in testifying against bills. In 1998, H.B. 590 was a proposal to privatize all new state prisons. Representatives of the OCSEA Corrections Assembly testified against the bill along with Richard Corday, then a Democratic candidate for Attorney General. (9) Although the bill never passed, it is not proven that it did not pass because of the efforts of OCSEA.

In 1998, Republican Ron Gerberry introduced a bill H.B. 738 that would impose a five-year moratorium on prison privatization in Ohio and create a joint House-Senate study committee. OCSEA supported this bill, but it did not pass.

OCSEA members accompanied a House-Senate Corrections Institution Inspection Committee in an attempted surprise inspection of the Corrections Corporation of America’s prison in Youngstown, Ohio. CCA denied access because two OCSEA members accompanied committee members. The Corrections Institution Inspection Committee is now exploring new legislation that would penalize prison companies from obstructing the work of the committee. (9)

The leaders of OCSEA called on state legislatures to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the escape of six inmates on July 25, 1998 from a private prison in Youngstown. The group also called on the General Assembly to ban future private operation of prisons. Leaders also wrote letters to Senator Rhine McLin and Representative Sam Bateman, requesting that a thorough investigation be conducted. The letter also contained a request for legislation to bar any new prisons housing out-of-state inmates and to repeal sections of laws passed that established two privately managed prisons. (10) OCSEA was somewhat successful because a thorough investigation was conducted, but I was unable to find out if the prison was turned over to the state.

Two representatives of OCSEA Corrections Assembly testified before the House State Government Committee in favor of H.B. 229, which is a bill that would ban state-run private prisons in Ohio. They asked committee members to compare the problems at the private prison in Youngstown else where with the state’s prisons. Several members of OCSEA staff attended the hearings. The fate of H.B. 229 is still uncertain. (11)

OCSEA members worked for the passage of H.B. 293 to regulate the private prisons. They were successful in passing the bill. This proves that member and community support can get legislators to change their positions.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (or OPSEU) was created in 1911 as the Civil Service Association of Ontario. The group changed their name to OPSEU in 1975. They have taken a stand against privatization since the 1980s.

In December 1999, OPSEU filed complaints with the Ontario Labor Relations Board over Ontario government plans to privatize prisoner transportation. The Ministry of Correctional Services agreed to provide training and equipment to make community escorts safer. Then a few months later, they announced that they would contract out prisoner transportation. OPSEU filed complaints against The Ministry because “the employer has violated both the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Ontario Labor Relations Act” (12) OPSEU also says that the employer is trying to intimidate correctional officers so they won’t try to exercise their rights. OPSEU has called on the Board to order the government to “cease and desist from continuing to attempt to privatize the community escorts.” (13)

In January 2000, OPSEU gained the support of the powerful Police Association of Ontario. They are backing OPSEU campaign to stop the privatization of correctional services. Bill Baxter, head of the police union wrote a letter to Corrections Minister

Rob Sampson, stating that “transporting and escorting correctional inmates is a job for trained and professional correctional officers,” He also wrote “Public safety cannot be compromised by leaving the care of prisoners with private citizens who lack the training and experience so crucially required.” (14)

In January 2000, members of OPSEU made a 500-km round trip to attend a meeting with the Penetanguishene jail liaison committee. They went there to talk the jail out of privatizing. The meeting turned out in OPSEU favor when the committee left opposing a private jail. (15) Also in January, OPSEU joined hands with the staff at the Sudbury Jail and local citizens to fight the privatization of correctional services. OPSEU has a new policy that will support locals to finance public events in their communities that speak out against privatization of correctional services. OPSEU gained the support of two municipal councils. The two councils threw their support behind the anti-privatization motion that was passed by the town of Midland. OPSEU has also mailed lobby kits to all corrections locals. “Our goal is to have 100 councils support a motion opposing the privatization of correctional services,” said Barry Scanlon, chair of the OPSEU Ministry Employee Relations Committee in the Corrections Ministry. (16)

OPSEU has also been involved in protests against privatization. In February, members showed up for a demonstration at the Bell Cairn Training Center in Hamilton. They came to protest privatization and the continuing misuse of unclassified staff in Ontario jails. (17) Also in February, OPSEU went public with government plans to have lone private security guards to escort violent offenders in communities across Ontario. They have planned to use one private guard to perform the duties of two professional correctional officers. The Health and Safety Act had ordered the government to use two professional

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