Canada

Alberta jail guard union hopeful strike will end today

April 30, 2013 09:12 PM

Striking prison guards will not return to their jobs until more work-safety issues are resolved, says the president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, citing hopes that progress can be made today. Guy Smith said he met with Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk late Monday for a "couple of hours" of "productive" discussions around some of the issues that prompted guards to walk off the job Friday in an illegal strike that's now into its fifth day. Throughout the strike Lukaszuk has denied there are any safety issues at the Edmonton Remand Centre, saying the dispute is more about guards "not liking their boss." "There was animosity, and I think we had to cut through that, and sit down face to face and get to the bare facts of what we have to deal with," Smith said. The guards' strike was joined Monday by provincial sheriffs, probation officers, court workers and social workers joined the strike Monday, effectively shutting down court proceedings in Edmonton and Calgary.

Have something to say? Post your comment
Copyright © 2012 Calgary Indians All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy