Reportingin

News for staff in CJS 08/12/08 Authorised Toni Walkington, Branch Secretary, CPSU/CSA

2008 has been a massive year for our

Union with plenty of activity to improve
pay and conditions in Corrective Services.
It is hard to believe that it was a year ago that Members
engaged in Industrial action as a result of the employer’s
unwillingness to address excessive workloads and honour
our contract of service. In this issue we will look back at those
events and reflect on the protections for staff that we won and
discuss the progress of our campaign and the Departments
current resistance to appropriately remunerate experienced
field workers.
Reportingin is intended to encourage communication between
Delegates, Members, potential members and Union staff, ensuring
all are better informed as to the circumstances we are experiencing
as workers and as to the progress of our campaigns.
The strength of any union revolves around the knowledge and
activism of its Members. Please think of this newsletter as a forum
where Members can share information, broadcast their concerns
and be active in the fight to improve and protect our pay and
conditions. Remember, at the end of the day we are the Union.
If you have a story or would like to make comment on this edition of
Reportingin, please email: publicity@cpsucsa.org
If you have an industrial matter of concern to you please direct your
enquiry in the first instance to your Delegate (see list overleaf).
Excessive Workload- Enough was enough.
From 31 October to 5 November ‘08 staff of the Department of
Corrective Services engaged in strike action. In the strike days
Members picketed head office, Fremantle and Mirrabooka Community
Justice Services as well as marching on the Premier’s Office.
The solidarity of Members and (the agument of our strength) forced
our employer to negotiate and to implement measures to cap client
and report numbers. All Community Correction and Juvenile Justice
Officers now benefit from the workload caps and have a dispute
resolution procedure accessible to ensure the employer provides a
reasonable workload in the employees contract of service.
To commemorate the Strike, Julie Taylor, DCS Organiser will be visiting
all metropolitan branches in the next three weeks. The highlight of
these visits will be the screening of footage from the industrial action.
It is important to note that the employer has not committed long
term to workload reductions, with the current Workload Management
Strategy possibly expiring in April 2009.
As a result a key focus of these meetings will be how Members can
assist the campaign and protect their conditions of employment.

For years we were exploited by our employer, excessive caseloads

and reports where issued, with no explanation of how the work Workplace visits & video screenings
could be completed within our contract of service. We completed
Organiser Julie Taylor will commence a series of visits to your
the work due to our professionalism and commitment to our clients,
workplaces in CJS on Thu 4 Dec. She will hold meetings and screen
as a result many worked themselves to breaking point, others took
a short edited video from the now infamous 31 Oct ‘07 Members
work home or attended on weekends, it was our good will that kept
meeting with the Commissioner and his Team. Dates/times TBA.
the community safe.
On 31 October ‘08 after a heated meeting, in which the Commissioner For a timeline of industrial action events and
and his Directors refused to acknowledge the high cost of work
overload on our Members, we resolved to take control of our work
photo’s from the campaign please visit
conditions. Members had reached “breaking point”. www.cpsucsa.org/DCS

JOIN: see your Delegate, visit: www.cpsucsa.org/join or call 1300 733 800
 Reportingin News for staff in CJS 08/12/08 Authorised Toni Walkington, Branch Secretary, CPSU/CSA

Workload On 5 September 2008, as a result of significant Delegates will continue to argue the case for
pressure and detailed submissions by Union the Department to recognise and remunerate
Management Strategy Delegates and Organisers, the Department our true work value. Please watch this space
On the 21 October 2008 the Department increased pay rates for CCO’s and JJO’s from for further campaign updates.
of Corrective Services and our Union Lecvel 3/4 to level 4. The Department For a summary of the correspondence
representatives attended the six month report however continues to show disregard of between the Dept and the CPSU/CSA on
back in the Western Australian Industrial the human capital in its experienced staff. the work value of CCO’s and JJO’s see the
Relations Commission (WAIRC). Both parties Employees, despite many holding degrees, campaign site: www.cpsucsa.org/DCS
resolved to continue with the interim order, are excluded from the Specified Callings;
which is the Workload Management Strategy, a widely held view is that the Department
for a further six months. benefits dramatically from the qualifications Your CJS Delegates
of graduates.
Name Workplace
INFORMATION URGENTLY NEEDED Currently the Department is failing to retain Peter Hams CJS Albany Adult
on the workload levels and lost hours of many experienced staff, increasing the Sindy-lea Clarke CJS Belmont Adult
Case Support (CSO) and Senior Case Support workload pressures and the proportion of
Mahi Weiss CJS Belmont Juvenile
Officers (SCSO). Any CSO or SCSO who is complex clients for the experienced staff
concerned about the amount or nature of the remaining. As a result our Union sought from Laurie Sutherland CJS Bunbury
work they are being asked to undertake is the employer a reclassification to level 4/5. Donna Sekkouah CJS Bunbury Juvenile
asked to contact their Delegates or UnionLink. Todd Ellery CJS Busselton Adult
On the 31st of October 2008 (I hope the
We will continue to push for permanent caps Dallas Wheatley CJS Carnarvon Adult
irony of the date is not lost on Members),
on workloads for staff.
Commissioner Ian Johnson, advised us that a Pia Annese CJS Fremantle Adult
reclassification to level 4/5 would be refused. Michelle Melville-Main CJS Fremantle Juvenile
Lunch & Learns In an open letter the Commissioner advised: Sue Burton CJS Geraldton

We are currently running a series of short ‘I do not accept that many of the changes Sally Curtis CJS Joondalup Adult
Training sessions in our workplaces. These [in work] represent an increase in work Jennifer Calogero CJS Joondalup Juvenile
sessions include topics such as Bullying, value... The Department maintains its view Amy Smith CJS Maddington Juvenile
Issues in the Workplace, Dealing with Angry that the appropriate classification of these
John Pavlinovich CJS Midland Juvenile
customers etc. You choose your topic. The positions is at level 4.’
Morgan Bonnett CJS Mt Lawley Adult
2009 dates will be updated in the New Year. We are extremely disappointed in the position
Jane Connor CJS Mt Lawley Adult
See: www.cpsucsa.org/training of the Department, as experienced officers
Graeme Mason CJS Narrogin Juvenile
or email: training@cpsucsa.org will know the complexity of clients we see
on a daily basis has increased dramatically Storm Stuart CJS Northam Adult
as a result of increased substance abuse, the Gavro Draca CJS Perth
Reclassifications internet and across the Board increase in the Shane Giles CJS Perth
In October 2008 we put forward a proposal seriousness of offences. Vanessa Pizzi CJS Rockingham Adult
to pursue a Level 4/5 classification for As a result of these work changes the value- Claire Clamp CJS Roebourne Adult
Community Corrections Officers and Juvenile added component of our work, rehabilitation Susan McKenna CJS South Hedland
Justice Officers. After further campaigning, and intervention, has increased dramatically Russell Hayward CJS South Hedland Adult
the Dept responded on 5 September by to be responsive with the increase in
Ross Layton CJS Victoria Park Juvenile
reclassifying CCO’s and JJO’s from L3/4 to L4. accountability measures, client and offending
needs. Who does the Department think has Sandra Crowley CJS Warwick Adult
This was a very good start and represents a
Glenn McFarlane CJJ Killara
few thousand dollars payrise for new starters. been doing the work whilst it has failed to
[ Lets ensure they know just how this occurred! ]
provide programmes ? Zoran Trajkovski Childrens Court

JOIN: see your Delegate, visit: www.cpsucsa.org/join or call 1300 733 800