Racist threats trigger staff walkout at Toronto jail

by Rob Peters | January 16, 2008 at 02:33 pm

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A sad and dangerous state of affairs in Toronto. Two separate prison guard walkouts on the same day.

The first was due to racist death threats directed at black prison guards, and the second to new and arguably invasive measures to monitor prison staff.

There were two separate walkouts at Toronto detention centres Wednesday, including one involving black guards who say they've been receiving threatening, racist letters from colleagues.

About 30 guards at the Toronto Jail, formerly known as the Don Jail, walked out early in the day, saying the letters have been sent to black guards for the past three years and nothing has been done.

For a while, the letters had stopped, but in the last couple of of weeks they began again. They're anonymous letters laced with violent, racist language and threats of death that have been found in workplace mailboxes and are allegedly sent by fellow employees.

Jail guard Hayden Morrison received a letter and decided it was time for action. Morrison said there's no doubt the letters are directed at black jail guards.

"Honestly, if somebody said, 'Welcome to 2008' based on this, I thought it was 18-something and in the deep south."

Guards at the Toronto Jail said they will return to work when they feel their health and safety isn't at risk.

And the second walkout:

Meanwhile, about 80 guards and staff at the Toronto West Detention Centre also walked out on Wednesday in an apparent dispute over video cameras that are being used to monitor staff.

Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci said "everything is under control" and that he expects the issues to be resolved soon.

Bartolucci said he is not considering an injunction to force the workers to return to their jobs.