The union representing correctional officers in Ontario says some of its members have refused to work after they were not allowed to wear protective gear amid the spread of COVID-19 in provincial jails.
Some institutions allow guards to wear surgical masks and gloves while others don’t, said Chris Jackel, a spokesman for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
Last week, guards at Monteith Correctional Complex near Timmins, Ont., refused to work after they asked, but weren’t allowed to wear the protective equipment near an inmate who started showing symptoms of COVID-19, said Jackel. “Then the (inmate’s) test results come in positive and they say, sure, you can wear PPE (personal protective equipment),” Jackel said. “It’s so ridiculous,