Tabled Pieces of Legislation Concern CUPE

[Dec 20, 2007 09:43 AM]

 

MEDIA RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release:

 

December 19, 2007

 

Tabled Pieces of Legislation Concern CUPE

 

 

REGINA--The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the largest union in the province, is expressing serious concerns over two bills tabled Wednesday by the Saskatchewan Party government--The Public Service Essential Services Act and The Trade Union Amendment Act.

 

 

 

All government employees, Crown Corporation employees, health care workers, university staff, SIAST staff and many more have all been told, with the essential services act, that in a strike situation, the employer has the right to determine how many people will stay on the job.

Before a collective agreement expires, employers and employees must negotiate which functions of the workplace are essential, and how many employees will stay on the job in a strike to carry out those functions. If an agreement is not reached, the employer will decide who stays on the job during a strike of lockout.

Although the union may follow an appeal process in regards to the number of workers told to stay on the job, they can't appeal the workplace functions that are determined essential.

"If a large percentage of workers are still on the job, and employers are barely inconvenienced by a strike, strikes and lockouts will be seriously prolonged," said Tom Graham, president of CUPE Saskatchewan.

Graham noted that the Saskatchewan Party election-campaign claims that they would not legislate essential services, followed by an apparent change of direction; the secrecy in which the legislation was written; and the absolute absence of consultation with labour and other stakeholder groups during the drafting of the legislation all add to his list of concerns.

 

 

 

“CUPE has always provided essential services at a more-than-adequate level in a strike situation,” said Graham. “We’re confident that we’ve never put public safety at risk, and we prefer to continue to negotiate, with our employers, the best way in which to protect public safety.

 

 

 

“The bottom line is that we just don’t believe that essential services legislation is necessary; and we have yet to see any research presented by the Saskatchewan Party to suggest that it is.”

 

 

 

Despite Graham’s concerns, he said that Minister Norris had personally agreed that CUPE would be consulted regarding this legislation. Graham is waiting for that process to begin, and believes there still may be room for constructive change.

 

 

 

In addition, Graham expressed concerns about what he called “unnecessary changes” to The Trade Union Act.

 

 

 

Employees may apply to the Labour Relations Board for union certification when more than 50 per cent of in-scope workers signed a card, expressing their desire to be represented by a union.

 

 

 

 “Not all employers treat their staff in a fair or equitable way,” said Graham. “Those employers with poor records shouldn’t be allowed an opportunity to bust the organizing efforts of employees who are trying to exercise their right to belong to a union. These are just people looking for some representation, and fair treatment.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUPE represents 27,000 public sector workers in Saskatchewan who work at health care facilities, municipalities, school boards, universities, libraries boards and agencies and community-based organizations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

-30-

 

 

 

For more information contact:

 

Tom Graham: (306) 229-8171