What have been referred to a “The Worst Labour Laws in Canada” and “An Assault on Worker’s Rights” and “Anti-Woman“, Bills 5 (The Essential Services Act) & 6 (Amendments to the Trade Union Act) are about to be passed by the newly elected Saskatchewan Party government.
As a result, The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour called for a May Day rally today that was held in Regina at the Saskatchewan Legislature and at the Saskatoon Cabinet office. This was a supposed to be a “Celebration of Activism and Resistance” as well as a strong message to the Sask Party government that these bills would be fought to the bitter end.
Considering these bills represent the greatest changes to labour legislation in Saskatchewan in a generation, one would have thought tens of thousands of these “activists and resistors” would have shown up.
In Regina the head count was approximately 250 people and in Saskatoon, the lunch hour “activists and resistors” left a grand total of 10 protest signs shoved under the front door.
I suspect that most of the rank and file union members that weren’t in attendance for this rally were those that were actually doing their jobs…. How inconvenient is that for labour leadership in the province?
That’s the problem with protests… Sometimes the number of people that show up to an event tells you more than any placard could.
time to go after the right to strike for public sector unions.
We the people grant them a monopoly on some service, like Hospitals and these whack-jobs then use that monopoly to go on strike and get whatever they want because there is no other service to compete.
Public sector unions will be the death of Canada.
That turnout is actually pretty amazing considering that SUN wants to hold a strike vote (or is holding one soon??). I wanted to go to counter protest, but I live 4 hours away so I just went to my non-unionized job.
one would have thought tens of thousands of these “activists and resistors” would have shown up.
Personally I’m not surprised. Electronic components are not very political. Activists are such things as transistors, varactors, etc, and resistors are of course, well, just resistors, passive components that disspiate energy.
Thanks RW, you almost made this Technologist need to buy a new keyboard. 😛
The SUN decided to hold a strike vote after TEN MINUTES of face-to-face bargaining. Make no mistake about this, Saskatchewan – this is the kind of action this government will face from all public sector unions given the Essential Services Legislation about to become law. They have not actually said it but the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour is at war with the Wall government.
The government has to stick to its guns and I believe it will.
Too bad “L.U.B.’s” couldn’t show the same enthusiasm at work that they show during labour action.
If you don’t believe the dead can be revived watch a picket line. For some reason they can’t move faster than a worm and yet jump right up when when the picket captain hollers.
The need for Unions is long past. We have a gazillion Gov’t agencies to regulate labor laws, labor standards, wage policies etc. We do not need Larry Hubich, Rosalie Longmore and their Socialist cronies screaming at us daily about the travails of the downtrodden unionized worker.
Frankly, unions are more headache than they are worth!
I would just as soon fire union troublemakers and bring in quality immigrants who are more than happy to be in Canada where they can make a decent living.
The sooner the SaskParty neuters all unions in Sask, and rids this province of any vestige of the NDP, the better off we will be.
Totally agree with you Gypsy!
But I wouldn’t stop there. Get rid of the 40 hour work week, paid vacation, sick leave, pensions and lets drop all public employee’s wages by $10.00/hr. That’ll show them who’s boss.
Slowly they learn to live the way the rest of us have always lived.
It’s called”right to work” legislation.
Anon,
And how do the rest of “us” live?
Prime:
No pension plan. No convertible sick days. Minimal if non existant benefits ie. dental, prescription drugs.
Stand tall, Premier Wall!
The lady’s not for turning
[Government] “…has to provide without interruption the protective services that are government’s reason for being”
Maybe few union people showed up because most of them don’t really agree with their leadership.
My observation from nigh on 20 years as a member of a “public service ” union.
It is a union in name only.
Members as a rule,like the electorate, don’t give a f*ck….untill shit happens.
But even then….you stick YOUR neck out…they won’t!
Only as strong as the effort you put in.
Funny,…… that theme seems to run throughout life….
On a related topic, a friend of mine, who has 24 years in with a public financial institution,in LABOUR FRIENDLY ALBERTA (!), is feeling the heat from a recently imported manager. Disciplinary letters forwarded to the union staff rep, with the aknowledgement “oh, I don’t think we can win this one”.
Real positive….
She’s F$%ked as far as I can see!
The case is pure harrasssment, but she gets encouragement, from a private contactor type who WAS a union member, but nowadays mines MUCH greener pastures as a service supplier at professional rates! Whatever the market will bear…
Anyway, it’s the usual egomaniacal recently promoted, imposing his will on a few young female sheep at ALBERTA TREASURY BRANCH.
I sometimes wonder if this talented lady would be better off, else-where…. with a remuneration directly tied to her skills and effort.
Some people are afraid of this arrangement, but once you are IN, the WATER’S FINE!!!
uniouns = not waiting for the asteriod.
Eastern Paul,
Your friend does have a fighting chance, it all depends on her. She has to fight that battle, nobody will do it for her. If she is being harassed she should lodge a complaint through the proper channels at work. Document everything. Here in Manitoba if the employer does not act on a harassment complaint, they are just as culpable as the person doing the actual harassment. Your friend just needs some steady guidance.
And as for union workers who don’t give a procreational action, your right, until it is too late.
Gypsy,
You too can be replaced by a “quality immigrant”, and that person doesn’t have to be in this country, it is called “outsourcing”.
Pepster,
Do a little forward thinking about your statement, of ridding the 40 hour work week etc. Once the unions, whether they be private or public, are gone, so will be those “benefits”. And if you think that only unions will be shown who’s the boss you will be sadly mistaken, because in the corporate world, workers are an evil that is required, a “cost” of doing business, and if that cost can be lowered in any way shape or form, so be it. Health premiums? Gone. Holidays, paid or not? Reduced or gone. Sick days if any? Who cares if your sick..work. Work place safety? Another expense that can be reduced.
If your lower management, a white shirt doesn’t protect you. Remember the reason for management is to exist at the expense of others.
Ah yes union busting, just remember y’all somebody can do your job cheaper somewhere else whether you be unionized or not.
Non-union, haven’t been for the last twenty years, eighty thousand plus a year, AHC paid by employer, full benefits, four day work week, don’t work OT, I work to live, not live to work, I don’t pay thirteen hundred a year to tell some A-hole where to go, I have enough balls and confidence in myself to save that little privilege for myself. Age fifty-two, retirement any day now, so how’s life treating the rest of you guys and gals? Union and non-union?
Oh by the way, did I mention that I’m not a paper pusher and I actually have a marketable skill?
I should mention that I believe it is because I “chose” to make a few right decisions while I was younger and have always believed that the world owed me nothing. My only regret is that I did not move to Alberta ten years sooner. We do have right to work legislation.
Prime?
Excuse me for sounding niave here… but if an employee is not ‘essential’ (especially gov’t ones), they why are we (the taxpayers) employing them in the first place???
Just a thought…..
garyinwpg; Hey,might lose all those benefits? BUY a business and run it in friendly Manitoba.PAY all those benefits to people that think that YOU owe them a living and have a GOVT that agrees with them.Better yet,buy a farm and get on the real gravy train.Methinks that you have a lot to learn.
Shoot …. I completely forgot about May Day !!
[quote]Excuse me for sounding niave here… but if an employee is not ‘essential’ (especially gov’t ones), they why are we (the taxpayers) employing them in the first place???
Just a thought…..[quote]
Quit that now!… how are we going to know unless they declare themselves… A brilliant Union strategy. Better they rally for rights in China; most union fees/dues go in that direction anyway.
Kate,
I clicked on the “anti-woman” link and read a few paragraphs when I discovered this little gem; “In industries where low-wage jobs are often filled by women and workers of colour”. Am I alone in finding this to be an extremely racist and bigoted statement? “People of colour”? Since when is it acceptable to refer to visible minorities as “People of colour”? Where is Warren Kinsella on this? I am very serious, this is an openly racist and bigoted statement made by the blog’s creator and not merely by a random, unknown contributor in the comments section.
I am going to sen this to the Saskatchewan Human Rights and file a complaint.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
I worked in a union for 11 years. White collar work (property assessment). Basically your reward for completing your work was you were assigned the slow staff member’s work (they were usually too busy at union activities or complaining about why they couldn’t get their work done or worrying about how someone else does it).
Now in the free world the harder I work the more I get paid. Made 3 job changes in the last 15 months. Work harder at each but the rewards are worth it.
Hope the asteroid doesn’t miss Hubich and his cronies when it comes.
I envy you, GaryinWpg.
I wish I lived in Winnipeg.
It’s such a beautiful and prosperous city.
When governments change from socialist to conservative it is to be expected that Labour Laws are going to change too. Why does organized labour always seem surprised?
The Chair and Vice Chairs of the Labour Relations Board were dismissed and that too is expected!!
Spike 1,
Please enlighten me on what to learn.
Me thinks you’re bitter and twisted about something…
Duncan,
Not sure on how to take your comment, but the Peg does have its’ good and bad.
PRIME?
The protestations are a bit over the top, methinks. Bill 6 changes the required support to form a union from 25% to 45%, and reduces the application period from 6 months to 90 days. It also requires a secret ballot on the actual Union vote, but I assume this was always a requirement.
Bill 5 isn’t that big a deal either… does anyone really think that nurses and prison guards striking without restriction is a good thing?
Anon,
Ahhh, good point(s)-ty for the clarification, indeed is that not how most of us, in the context you refer navigate life? We can agree not everyone lives on “sugar, spice, and everything nice.” I imagine your ‘real-world’ is far more similiar to ‘those’ people than it is different.
Prime
GaryinWpg
I was being sarcastic! Unions have played a very important role in obtaining the benefits that everyone one us enjoy today and they will continue to do that in the future.
Maybe a simple solution to the labour dispute in this province would be to offer all public sector employee’s who will be affected by Bill 5 “The Essential Service Act” the option of binding arbitration. This would be in exchange for giving up there right to strike.
It currently is being used for fire fighters and police through out the province.
I think this would be a simple solution.
Pep,
Sorry.