A dangerous job got more dangerous Sunday at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre, says local union head Denis Collin.

Sergeants, or managers of correctional officers at the Innes Rd. jail, all called in sick Sunday leaving a “severe lack of direction” for jail staff.

“The place needs sergeants to be able to run. I’ve worked there for 15 years and something like this has never happened,” said Collin, president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 411 that represents employees at the OCDC.

Collin said there are six areas that need a sergeant — the pod, or protective custody area, the maximum security area, minimum security area, segregation cells, the female inmate area, and admittance and discharge.

In an ideal situation there would be a sergeant on the floor in each area for all day and night shifts.

But, just like correctional officers at the jail, sergeants are dealing with staff shortages, Collin said.

“They are just like us. On any given day they may have a sergeant running several areas because they are shortstaffed,” he said.

An employee at the jail, who asked to remain anonymous, said sergeants all called in sick to protest their struggles of attempting to join the Public Service Alliance of Canada union.

Collin could not confirm that.

A call to the union’s head office was not answered Sunday.

Collin said one deputy superintendent was in charge of the correctional officers Sunday.

@mattdaymedia Deputy Super of Programs running a shift on the floor is like having a school crossing guard being promoted to chief of police — Douglas Siroski (@dsiroski) December 13, 2015

“She’s in there for the extraordinary circumstance, but it doesn’t cut the mustard,” Collin said.

“A deputy superintendent doesn’t deal with day-to-day issues on the floor. She’s only there to do damage control.”

Douglas Siroski, a correctional officer at OCDC, tweeted: “Deputy Super of Programs running a shift on the floor is like having a school crossing guard being promoted to chief of police.”

The deputy superintendent, Laurie Larocque, directed all questions to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The ministry’s director of communications Stuart McGetrick said the jail was on lock down to ensure the safety and security of staff and inmates.

“We are currently working to secure additional staff so that we can return the institution to normal operations,” he said.

Gareth Jones, the regional vice-president of OPSEU, said he’s not sure if the deputy superintendent has sufficient training in implementing emergency plans, should the situation arise, and use of force procedures.

“Can that person carry pepper spray? You also need training with mechanical restraints (to do the job of a sergeant),” he said.

Tensions at the jail have been rising over the years and just four days ago correctional officers from across the province voted down a tentative agreement between OPSEU and the province after raising concerns over wage issues and no standalone collective agreement for correctional, parole and probation officers.

In Ottawa, 93% of correctional officers rejected the deal.

The province-wide result was 67% for no.

About a dozen jail guards held an impromptu picket on Thursday morning. Collin said a strike is on the horizon if no agreement can be reached soon.

Jones said Minister Yasir Naqvi needs to be thinking “really hard” on how to staff the place with a strike looming.