Category: Information

Send a Letter to the WCB

Change Funding Policy to Target Prevention, Training, and Education

Saskatchewan’s Workers’ Compensation Board is consulting on changes to its funding policy. We think changes could be made that would benefit workers. Please help us by filling in your information below and sending this letter to the Chair of the WCB. Feel free to add in your own thoughts on how the WCB’s funding policy could change. 

Click here to fill out the letter:  http://www.sfl.sk.ca/get-involved

Larry Hubich
President
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

Bus:  306-924-8573
Cell:  306-537-7330
E-mail:  l.hubich@sfl.sk.ca
Twitter:  @lhubich
Website:  www.sfl.sk.ca

Unifor to offer solidarity to TTC union

See the video on Twitter @UniforCanada

Please see below news release sent from the SFL:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 25, 2017

NEW CAMPAIGN TELLS THE REAL STORY BEHIND GOVERNMENT PRIVATIZATION AND CUTS

Own It!, an initiative to protect Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations and public services from being sold, is a province-wide campaign and organizing effort.

Workers, families, and individuals that rely on Crowns and public services from across the province have been interviewed to get their stories on why selling-off Crowns and public services is a bad idea for all of us.

“Here in Saskatchewan we cherish our Crowns and public services, and residents all over our province rely on them every day. We can’t sit by while the provincial government privatizes them, putting them in the hands of corporations who will put profit first — and service and safety second,” said Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).

Privatization is everyone’s problem now, and Own It! encourages Saskatchewan residents to make their voice heard. People can send a letter to their local town/city council and MLA by visiting: www.ownyoursask.ca.

“Selling Crowns and public services will really hit families hard: prices will go up, services will suffer, and jobs will be lost – especially in small towns and rural Saskatchewan,” said Hubich, “that’s why we are involving local leaders in this effort. We hope town and city councils will defend their communities and call on the provincial government to stop its risky privatization schemes,” he added.

This new phase of Own It! follows a successful petition drive in the Fall of 2015 that saw nearly 20,000 signatures being submitted to the Legislature calling on the provincial government to say YES to Crowns and public services. It remains the second-largest petition in Saskatchewan’s history.

Own It! is a community coalition of workers’ groups and supporters of strong Crowns and public service.

For additional information, contact:

Kent Peterson

Strategic Advisor

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

t: 1 (306) 570-1855
e: k.peterson@sfl.sk.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2017

WORKERS ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT

Leaders from Saskatchewan’s Labour Movement have come together through a series of meetings to share information on what people are hearing from public employers. One thing has become clear: the provincial government is setting the stage to blame Saskatchewan workers for the government’s own budget mismanagement, waste, and lack of leadership.

“Janitors, teachers, and healthcare providers did not cause the government’s billion dollar deficit, so it makes no sense whatsoever for the premier to be bullying these, and other, public servants,” said Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL), “the government should be looking at its own costly privatization schemes and boondoggle projects – like the privatized bypass around Regina, the GTH land scandal, the Lean scam, smart meters, and giving away our liquor stores – to save the province some money,” he added.

In response to the provincial government’s attacks on working people, families, students, and communities, a rally is being organized to take place within the next two months.

“People around the province are, quite frankly, fed-up with the government’s excuses and scapegoating,” said Hubich, “the Rally for Saskatchewan is an opportunity for everyone to come together and fight for what we value here in Saskatchewan: public Crowns and strong public services, world-class public healthcare, schools and teachers that have the resources they need to teach our kids, a seniors’ care system that is properly staffed, and a positive direction that believes in the promise of this province. Why is the Premier attacking the people who voted for his government?” he added.

People can share information about privatization and take action to protect our Crowns and public services by visiting: www.ownyoursask.ca.

For additional information, contact:

Kent Peterson

Strategic Advisor

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

o: 1 (306) 525-0197

m: 1 (306) 570-1855
e: k.peterson@sfl.sk.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2017

SASK. PARTY GOVERNMENT MUST REMOVE FAILED ‘SUPERVISORY EXCLUSIONS’ FROM LEGISLATION

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) is urging the Sask. Party government to remove its failed ‘supervisory exclusions’ from the Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA), before it causes anymore distress for workers and wasted taxpayers’ dollars.

On January 17, 2017, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (LRB) denied an employer’s attempt to remove ‘supervisory employees’ from a unit of CUPE at the Saskatoon Public Library. This case was the first real test of the Sask. Party government’s 2014 changes that allowed employers to carve ‘supervisory employees’ out of their bargaining unit.

“Saskatchewan’s workers, through the Ministers’ Advisory Committee, told the Sask. Party government that supervisory exclusions violated a worker’s right to belong to a union of their choosing,” said SFL president Larry Hubich, “the minister ignored our advice, and as we have seen from the recent LRB ruling, the government made an ill-advised and arrogant decision to ram through these questionable sections of the legislation,” he added.

The LRB noted that the SEA prohibits employer influence in workers’ choice of a union, any employer coercion that may affect a worker’s choice to belong to a union, and any employer interference in the administration of a union. Finally, the LRB stated that permitting employers to exclude supervisors from existing bargaining units would deprive these workers of their union representation and their rights under negotiated collective agreements.

“We warned the Sask. Party government about the supervisory exclusions in the legislation, but they didn’t listen. The government has a well-established pattern of ignoring the reasonable, well-researched advice of the Labour Movement, only to find out we were right when they are taken to court and to other bodies,” said Hubich, “my hope is that the government will, finally, do the right thing by repealing the supervisory exclusion sections of the SEA, and then actually use its Minister’s Advisory Committee in good faith by listening to the concerns of workers,” he added.

For additional information, contact:

Kent Peterson

Strategic Advisor

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

o: 1 (306) 525-0197

m: 1 (306) 570-1855

e: k.peterson@sfl.sk.ca

For more information on Bill C-27:

C-27 Letter From Diaz

C-27: DB vs TDP Pension Plans