CANADIAN LABOUR- SASKATCHEWAN:

RALLY AGAINST BILL 80:

Bill 80 is a proposed bill now before the Saskatchewan Legislature that would gut the right to collective bargaining for construction workers in that province. The governing 'Saskatchewan Party' (read Conservatives in drag ) have introduced legislation that would basically allow employers to chose which union would represent "their" workers. Tomorrow there will be a rally at the Regina legislative building to oppose this attack on Saskatchewan construction workers. Here's the story from the CEP Union Blog.

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Rally Against Bill 80

There will be a rally against Bill 80 on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at noon at the Saskatchewan Legislative building 2405 Legislative Drive Regina.

If you can not make the rally you can show your support in a number of other ways.

Join the face book group.

" kill bill 80 "


A petition out side of face book

Stop Bill 80's Amendments to the — Construction Industry Labour Relations Act

Find out more information at the Say No to Bill 80 Website

If you're a CEP member ask why would CEP support such a bill?

CANADIAN POLITICS/CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

WALL GOVERNMENT ATTRACTS UNWANTED ATTENTION:

I guess it's an example of overweening ambition. The Saskatchewan Party (read right wing conservative) government of Premier Brad Wall of Saskatchewan is in an unseemly rush to demolish any and all legislation that might benefit workers or ordinary people. Wall should really take lessons from that master of slyness, our beloved Prime Minister, about how to go about these things piecemeal. patience is, after all, a virtue. This rush to take away rights has attracted the unwanted attention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) who have made it plain to the Premier that his plans violate international law. Here's the story from Larry Hubich's Blog. Hubich is the President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).

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ILO blasts anti-labour laws adopted by Saskatchewan

UN body instructs government of Premier Brad Wall to consult with labour and work out an acceptable solution to essential services legislation, union organizing votes and a labour relations board all parties can trust.
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) has issued a stinging rebuke to the government of Saskatchewan, primarily over two pieces of anti-labour legislation adopted in 2008 (Bills 5 and 6).
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The United Nations body has directed the province to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the laws in full consultation and cooperation with workers and labour groups affected.
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In an unusually-pointed decision, the ILO – which is based in Geneva – has also instructed the Brad Wall government to keep ILO officials informed of corrective steps as they are taken to bring the province into compliance with international labour standards that Canada as a UN member country is bound to uphold.

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“The ILO has told the Wall government that these laws clearly violate international law and the principles of freedom of association. The government has an obligation and a duty to consult meaningfully with those who are affected by the laws it intends to enact,” said SFL President Larry Hubich.
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“SGEU is particularly pleased with the decision of the ILO and its impact on our collective bargaining. The outrageous and illegal use of designations to take away our members’ right to strike and force upon us collective agreements which do not reflect free and fair bargaining will be addressed through all means at our disposal including the courts if necessary,” said Bob Bymoen, president of SGEU.

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“This government must repeal its regulations and honour our previous agreement. International law is not just about business. It’s also about human rights and it’s time the Wall government started to respect those rights,” added Bymoen.
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“The ILO has also stated that the Labour Relations Board, which enforces both Acts, needs to enjoy the confidence of labour, and since the 2008 firings of the chair and vice-chair, those conditions do not exist. That’s another mess the ILO is calling upon the Wall government to fix,” added Hubich.

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“Brad Wall’s government appears eager to go out of their way to ensure the province complies with international trade agreements. It’s time they respected and lived up to our international obligations to ensure labour rights and human rights are consistent with those of other modern democracies,” said Hubich and Bymoen.
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The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association is referring the decision to the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. The Committee of experts is expected to meet in June and to issue a report on the government’s compliance in November.
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Download PDF version of news release here....
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Download complete ILO decision here....

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

GOVERNMENT OFFER TO SASKATCHEWAN HEALTH CARE WORKERS INSULTING:

Out in Molly's old stomping ground, the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the new ultra-conservative Saskatchewan Party (a temporary parking space for right wingers to avoid the aura of corruption of the old Conservatives-until they get caught enough themselves of course) continues its campaign of attacking ordinary people to increase the income and power of the rich. The latest targets are government employees in the health care sector. Here, from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is the latest news on the so-called "offer" of the government in negotiations that have been ongoing for over a year and a half. Molly has reported on these contract negotiations before last December.

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Health workers incensed by employers’ actions:
The Saskatchewan government and health employers “final offered” 25,000 health care providers and cancelled conciliation. Their actions have angered CUPE, which represents 12,600 health providers in five health regions.

Related: Hear radio host Roger Currie talk about the government's failure to bargain

“We are bitterly disappointed that the employers’ first move in conciliation is to present a final offer and cancel conciliation,” says CUPE Health Care Council President Gordon Campbell. “They’ve made a mockery of the conciliation process.”

The employers’ arrogance is tied to the government’s new essential services legislation, he adds. Under the legislation, three out of four health care providers are deemed essential and unable to strike.

The three health care providers unions – CUPE, SGEU and SEIU – have been negotiating for 17 months. Their contracts expired nearly two years ago.

“This so-called final offer is disgraceful,” says Mike Keith, CUPE’s chief negotiator, adding it contains all of the major concessions CUPE members rejected last June, when they voted 88% in support of job action. “These concessions are a license for health employers to understaff and overwork our members and mismanage our health care system.”

Keith says the union has “lost all confidence” that health employers have the mandate to negotiate a fair agreement.

“We are calling on the government to get serious about contract negotiations and stop trying to provoke a strike,” says Keith.

“We want to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a reasonable contract settlement. And we want the government to put a bargaining team in place to make make that happen,” he says.

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

THE "UNION" THAT WANTS A LOWER MINIMUM WAGE:

That's right, you heard me correctly. There is a Canadian "union" that is pushing for a two-tiered minimum wage whereby young workers can get paid at a lower minimum wage rate than older workers. By its advocacy of this the benighted province where it has the ear of the government will go beyond even Ontario which has a similar two tiered system that applies only to students, not to all young workers. We are, of course, referring to the infamous CLAC (Christian Labour Association of Canada) and the "newish" Saskatchewan Party government of that province which seems determined to out-Alberta any previous right wing government in the province to the west.

CLAC has become infamous over the years in Alberta where the government has been biased in favour of employers since the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. Its latest escapade was acting as a hiring agent for New Brunswick bosses ( see HERE at Molly's Blog) who were dissatisfied with paying even the depressed Atlantic Provinces wages to local construction workers. One wonders what the "cut" was that the CLAC was given to ship work desperate people down there from out here. One doubts that they were willing to ship in scabs for free, and no doubt they padded the bill. The CLAC is still not recognized as a union in NB, and neither is it in Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, however, it can barely repress its glee at the possibility of being the "bosses' choice" if the government's Bill 80 is passed, opening up the province to "Potemkin unions" endorsed by the employers.

Here's a little item from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix about CLAC's latest proposal to the Saskatchewan government to create an underclass of young workers.

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Objective to cut wages:
By Terry Parker,

The StarPhoenix

December 14, 2009
The Christian Labour Association of Canada is suggesting the Saskatchewan Party government lower the minimum wage for young people.

Both have both fought for lower wages and benefits for workers, so CLAC's advocacy for a lower minimum wage is not surprising even if it is foolish.

It makes no sense to penalize young workers in an economy that should be trying to keep them in Saskatchewan and get them into the labour force, unless the real objective is to ensure lower wages for the benefit of employers.

I suspect that what is really going on here is that the government wants to lower the minimum wage and thinks that young workers are the easiest to pick off, so it's going after them first. Next, move to a lower minimum wage for rural workers, as also advocated by CLAC.

To complement their strategy to lower minimum wages for non-union workers, CLAC and the Saskatchewan Party are also working together through Bill 80 to decrease wages and benefits for construction workers.

In addition to lower wages, Bill 80 legislates away the right of workers to choose the union that represents them. Instead, workers will be forced by employers to become CLAC members.
It's not surprising, but it is disappointing. Saskatchewan people will say no to lower minimum wages, just as they have said no to Bill 80.
Terry Parker
Business manager
Saskatchewan Building Trades

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Looking back over the past year I'm amazed by just how frequently this "yellow dog" union that represents a small number of people across Canada has made the news by its antics. I'm even amazed by how often it has been mentioned here at Molly's Blog (See HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE in the last year alone). Even in its home turf of Alberta, where it has all the benefits of conspiracy with the government in its favour it represents only about 15,00 people according to Wikipedia. But, as I said the Saskatchewan Party, trying to outdo the Alberta Conservatives, aims to give it a new field of victims. Here's an item from the Owls and Roosters Blog out of Saskatoon that gives many more details about the CLAC In Saskatchewan and its collaboration with the provincial government to prey on Saskatchewan workers. The original blog features photos of the heavily censored communications of the provincial government about what is going on. One wonders why they have such a need for secrecy. Look for Molly's unique interjection.

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Christian Labour Association of Canada promotes slashing minimum wage for young adults; Wall gov’t hiding Bill 80 information from public:

The StarPhoenix reported last month that the number of people using food banks in Saskatchewan in 2009 rose six per cent over last year. In Saskatoon, usage rose by 12 per cent. [Food bank usage rises (StarPhoenix, November 18, 2009)]

Regina Food Bank CEO Wayne Hellquist told the Leader-Post recently the food bank needs to feed a record number of families this Christmas.

“The fastest increase we’ve seen in any user group is what we call the working poor. They hold down a job, they might hold down more than one part-time job, they’re earning $10 an hour, but they're trying to feed and clothe and keep their family on $10 or $12 an hour. And if you do the math, it’s virtually impossible. If you’re spending $800 to $1,000 a month on housing, there’s not much left over at the end of the day to insure that your family has a great Christmas,” Hellquist said.

In all, the food bank needs to prepare Christmas hampers for at least 1,800 families – as many as 250 families and 1,500 individuals more than last year. Hellquist also pointed out nearly half of the food bank’s clientele are kids. [Food bank helping more than ever this year (Leader-Post, December 4, 2009)]

On December 4, 2009, the Star Phoenix reported that the wage gap in Saskatchewan is getting worse.

Legions of Saskatchewan workers – general labourers, retail employees, office staff and care home workers – are surviving at or just above the minimum wage of $9.25 an hour, Saskatchewan News Network senior reporter Jason Warick wrote.

Despite Saskatchewan’s image as a bastion of social equality, the separation between high- and low-income earners continues to widen.

“The gap between the richest and poorest families in Saskatchewan has increased dramatically over the past generation and has mushroomed since 2000 -- during the best of economic times,” former University of Regina sociology professor Paul Gingrich wrote in his study Boom and Bust: The growing income gap in Saskatchewan.

According to the study, released in September, Saskatchewan’s income gap is now the largest of all provinces. The richest 10 per cent of Saskatchewan families take home 28 per cent of all income, while those in the entire bottom half earned 20 per cent, Warrick wrote. ( I guess this is what "prosperity means-Molly )

Although Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate is low, much of the recent job growth has occurred in the typically low-paying service sector.

“The thought was that Saskatchewan was more egalitarian -- that just isn’t what the figures say,” Gingrich said in an interview.

“It’s a pretty bad situation for the bottom 10 or 20 per cent.”

A growing income gap will lead to a divided society, higher crime rates and poorer overall health, Gingrich said. [Wage disparity widens in Sask. (StarPhoenix, December 4, 2009)]

The provincial minimum wage board reviews the minimum wage every two years.

On September 25, 2009, the provincial government announced that a review was underway and invited the public to submit their opinions and concerns with the minimum wage by October 30, 2009.

It seems as far as the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) is concerned, the minimum wage is too generous for some people.

In its October 23, 2009, submission to the board CLAC recommends slashing the minimum wage by 10 per cent for people under the age of 21 years.

“A lower minimum wage rate for young and single adults encourages companies to hire youth who require work experience and on-the-job skills training. This approach offers young people opportunities to develop their skills for long term employment beyond summer and occasional employment while they attend school,” said the letter’s author, Chris Bosch, CLAC’s director of research and education.

Bosch says a high minimum wage for young people encourages early withdrawal from school and notes that public policy should encourage young people to get essential workplace skills while they attend school.

CLAC’s recommendation seems ill conceived and contradicts other statements in its submission.

Bosch notes that “a guaranteed minimum wage is an important provision for workers.” He said it attempts to provide adequate incomes to young people entering the labour market for the first time; for low-skilled adults workers who, in many cases and through no-fault of their own, are not candidates for higher-paid employment but still require the means to provide for themselves; and for single-parent households where the ravages of child poverty are most apparent.

Incredibly, Bosch says CLAC is “a labour union concerned for the welfare of Saskatchewan workers.”

What kind of labour union fights for lower wages that would cause additional hardship for those barely getting by or push others on the bubble over the edge into even greater poverty and despair?

Not only does the CLAC proposal discriminate against a person’s age it would also penalize young and single adults with children. It would hurt those under 21 years of age that aren’t in school or not living at home. It would also hammer first and second year post secondary students trying to hold down a job while they’re in school.

Present legislation does not permit CLAC to unionize construction companies in Saskatchewan. Construction workers who work for unionized sites must join the union associated with their particular trade. Bargaining is held on a province wide basis by trade.

CLAC, along with business lobby groups like the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, lobbied the right wing Saskatchewan Party government to change the legislation.

On March 10, 2009, their wish was granted as the provincial government introduced amendments to The Construction Industry Labour Relations Act, 1992 (CILRA) that would allow groups like CLAC to organize in Saskatchewan.

According to records obtained through a freedom of information request, Paul de Jong, the Prairies director of the CLAC, and Mike Carr, an associate deputy minister with Advanced Education, Employment and Labour (AEEL), were in contact up to a week before the bill’s introduction.

In a March 3, 2009, email to Carr, de Jong alluded to an earlier conversation and seemed to be providing information that Carr requested.

“When we last spoke,” de Jong said. “You reminded me that it would be helpful to provide some sense of how many members we have working in, or based from, Saskatchewan. Using 2008 statistics, it would appear that we have 1270 members who live in Saskatchewan, and work elsewhere (typically in Alberta). However, some of these members actually both live and work in SK, as we have contractors such as Pyramid Electrical Corporation, who have permanent/ongoing maintenance work within the province. Also, contractors have, and continue to, work in the province on a variety of construction projects. On these projects CLAC continues to represent the employees, but with the crucial difference being that we are not able to conclude a legal collective agreement on which those members can rely.

“Many of our contractors ( "our Contractors" ????? pretty goddamn obvious-Molly ) continue to ask me about our prospects in SK, as they, notwithstanding the current economic slowdown, are in a position to bid on a variety of infrastructure and private sector construction projects that continue to be released. These contractors are very keen to see evidence that they/we can operate legally within the province.

“Any updated information you could provide about the legislative process would be much appreciated.”

Carr replied on March 4, 2009: “Paul this is very helpful thanks. We are moving ahead as planned and expect to have some positive announcements perhaps as early as next week. We will be touch. Thanks again.”

Carr did indeed keep in touch with de Jong sending him at least three more emails with the last one coming on the day the legislation was introduced.

Confident of success CLAC opened an office in Saskatoon on July 1, 2009. [Bill 80, new union threat to construction workers: SFL (StarPhoenix, June 24, 2009)]

Speaking at a North Saskatoon Business Association luncheon on November 27, 2009, AEEL Minister Rob Norris told a crowd of more than 200 people that the legislation would pass.

“Bill 80 is a priority for this government. This bill is going to pass,” Norris said. [Bill 80 will pass, Norris tells crowd (StarPhoenix, November 28, 2009)]

During that same week households in Regina and Saskatoon received a feel good colour brochure from CLAC promoting the so-called union and Bill 80.

Oddly, the one thing the pamphlet didn’t say is what the CLAC acronym stands for. Not once is the word Christian mentioned. It’s assumed the reason for this is they’re afraid of scaring people off. That in itself says a lot.

The flyer appears to fulfill one of the group’s objectives outlined in its original constitution and by-laws adopted at the first convention on April 24, 1954: “To reach its aim the C.L.A. of C. shall… Make propaganda by the written and spoken word for Christian economic and industrial principles and their proper application; and counteract the unwholesome propaganda of radical labour groups inspired by anarchistic ( Hey, it's nice to get a mention. Thanks for caring guys. In 1954 anarchists had very little influence in the unions. This matter is slowly changing, particularily as other non-anarchists see more and more merit in what anarchists have advocated all along. I'd be very pleased to see the likes of the CLAC even more worried in years to come- Molly ) or communistic principles.”

CLAC’s aim as stated in the constitution is: “To organize workers in trade and industrial unions, for the purpose of propagating, establishing and maintaining justice in the sphere of labour and industry, and promoting the economic, social and moral interests of the workers through the practical application of Christian principles in collective bargaining and other means of mutual aid or protection.”

The language used in CLAC’s current literature may have softened since then but the underlying aim, principles and objectives generally seem to be the same.

The provincial government, meanwhile, is continuing to hide information about Bill 80 from the public.

In response to an access to information request made October 20, 2009, AEEL released two heavily censored briefing notes dated September 15 and October 8, 2009, in which ministry officials completely blacked out the ‘key messages’ portion in each. Also redacted were details on the bill’s current status.

For most briefing notes it’s the key messages that are used by ministers or senior staff to sell a particular initiative to the public. In this case if the key messages aren’t for the public then who are they for?

The Brad Wall government contends that Bill 80 will be good for Saskatchewan but at the same time goes out of its way to withhold as much information as possible.

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PLEASE see the original Owls and Roosters Blog for the graphics that document the conspiratorial nature of the Saskatchewan government.

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

SASKATCHEWAN WORKERS FIGHT BACK:

Ah, "good" old Saskatchewan, Molly's home province, left long ago and very rarely missed. Time was when Saskatchewan was in the vanguard of socialism in North America, but that time is long passed- mostly Molly feels because of the excessive and single minded devotion of socialists there to the party politics road to socialism. The inevitable happened. The CCF and then the NDP became the be-all and end-all of what socialism meant. The ideology failed to change with the times as the NDP travelled an inexorable trajectory to the right, urged on by so-called "realism" at every step. The only response of "the left", pathetic as it usually was, was to either engage in futile attempts to capture the party or in even more futile, and quite frankly usually ridiculous, attempts to build an electoral sect to the left of the NDP, hampered, as may be expected, by the usual mishmash of Marxists worshipping some foreign power. All this stuff failed, of course, and in the end the electorate began to shift strategically between a corrupt party of the right and a corrupt party of the left. Politics as "revenge".

Since 2007 the governing party in Saslkatchewan has been the (creatively ????) named 'Saskatchewan Party', an ill suited conglomeration of conservative forces patched together to escape the opprobrium of the name of the (stupendously more than usual) corrupt former Conservative party. Since coming to power the SP has done its duty to its class by vicious attacks on working people in that province.

People in Saskatchewan, however, are beginning to fight back, as the following article from the Public Values website details. Needless to say I, as an anarchist, don't agree with the general politics of the Public values site, whose social democracy is exactly what misled socialists in my home province down their long disgraceful road. What I hope, but have little expectation of, is that the "years in the wilderness" will convince unionists and others in Saskatchewan- and elsewhere- to not put all their eggs in the social democratic basket and to build and retain networks that are truly independent of party politics. Still, the Public Values website, along with its sister sites such as the Harper Watch and Straight Goods, are often valuable sources of information. Here's one such example. Go to the original website to view the video associated with this article.

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Saskatchewan public servants fight back:
by Ish Theilheimer
A political sea change in Saskatchewan is forcing public servants there to fight back. With the election, November 2007, of Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party, organized labour has had a war on its hands.

"Since 2007 we have seen the introduction of some very regressive pieces of labour legislation," said Barbara Cape, in a YouTube video interview for Straight Goods News. She is President of SEIU-West, a recently-formed amalgamation of SEIU locals in Saskatchewan.

"On the face of it they may sound appealing to the public, but quite frankly the government has declared war on trade unions in Saskatchewan."

She says four pieces of legislation are particularly troublesome. These include:
-- the Public Services Essential Services Act, she says, is "probably the most appealing one to the public in Saskatchewan. The problem is men and women who work in health care in Saskatchewan have always ensured there were essential services in the event of a strike. We are being painted by this government as not caring for our patients, clients and residents. That is 100 percent not true. Health care workers in the province are a special breed of people who would never contemplate taking job action without ensuring that there was some safety for their patients, clients and residents.
-- changes to the Trade Union Act. "Previously we had had card checks for organizing. And Saskatchewan had real good union density (proportion of workers that belong to unions) at 33 or 34 percent. With this legislation, not only do we have to have cards signed by our members, but then we have to go through a vote. (Very much to revert the system of unionization to the thuggish regime prevalent today in the USA, a regime that proponents of the 'Employee Free Choice Act are attempting to change down there-Molly)The government has said a vote is democratic. Our argument has been a vote is democratic, but we use the democratic form of card-signing. People have the opportunity to make their choices in the privacy of their own home. There was no pressure. It was organizing, in the pu rest sense of the word.
-- changes to the Construction and Trades Union Act that "open the door quite widely" for the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) to organize in the trades and in health care. Cape joins with most others in the labour movement in calling CLAC an "employer's union."(Even worse in Molly's opinion. The CLAC is more than just a corrupt union. It resembles communist or fascist "trade unions" more than it resembles the old Teamsters) She says the legislation "lowers the standards for working people across the province."
-- the Trespass Act, which "says that nobody, no union, no organization shall be allowed to gather on Crown property without permission in the province of Saskatchewan. What that does is it takes away our right, as citizens of the province, to gather an assemble on our land, our Crown land. The penalties are quite stiff in all circumstances," $2,000 a day for individuals, $50,000 a day for unions.

"With this kind of legislation, they're pushing our members up against the wall," says Cape.

"Health care workers are going to seeing some dark times ahead in Saskatchewan."

Fightback campaigns
In response, her union has organized campaign such as one called "Essential 365 Days," in support of health care workers. Most recently has come the You've Got Mail campaign. "We marched to the Saskatchewan Party caucus office at the Government of Saskatchewan, and we delivered over 6,000 pieces of mail," said Cape. These were generated in 30 days from workers and concerned citizens. "That's significant," she says. "It has had an effect. We've heard from the Minister of Health that he wants us to redouble our efforts at the bargaining table, and he is challenging us to get a deal sooner rather than later."

Cape says the Wall government has been clever in how it has marketed the changes it has introduced. "Initially when the legislation was introduced, on the face of it it seemed pretty innocuous, however when you read the legislation it has absolutely put our members' backs up. The way that it's written and the punitive nature of it, has really angered our rural members, our long-term care members, our acute care members, people are just shocked that our government, which is supposed to be leading our province, that this is a war they're willing to take on health care workers."

Wall was in Toronto for the launch of SEIU's Member Action Program (MAP), which she sees as "an extension of the kind of work we've been doing right now. Our members are about to see, with the response from the government of Saskatchewan, are already seeing the ability of government to respond to those 6,000 pieces of mail.

"All it took was a signature. You see the immediate action, and you want to go further. And I think our members are going to be really impressed by how quickly we can see some payoff for our efforts in the political realm. Because bargaining is no longer just about sitting at the bargaining table anymore, you need to have some other pieces of the agenda, and I think MAP's been helpful to that."

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Ish Theilheimer has been Publisher of the leading, and oldest, independent Canadian online newsmagazine, StraightGoods.ca, since founding it in September 1999. He is also Managing Editor of PublicValues.ca.
Posted: July 02, 2009
Public Values (PublicValues.ca) is a project of the Golden Lake Institute and the online publication StraightGoods.ca

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

PROVINCE PLOTS P3S IN SASKATCHEWAN:

Ah, the province of Saskatchewan, Molly's birthplace and old stomping grounds. Once the "golden socialist utopia" of North America, the old social base of the CCF-NDP, the small farmer, has been eroded practically to the point of vanishing. Nowadays the province is ruled by the neo-conservative Saskatchewan Party, and, like all such outfits they are plotting to privatize large portions of the public economy via the setups known as P3s, "public private partnerships".

Not that Molly would have great objections to "de-stating" the public services, provided that the new entities were self managed producers' cooperatives. That, however, hasn't been on the agenda of any government that has undertook privatization anywhere in the world. The Saskatchewan party is moving cautiously, one might even say by stealth, to open up the public coffers to their business friends. Like cats licking their lips at a horde of mice, I'm sure that there are numerous entrepreneurs waiting to get their hands on their reward for supporting their political friends. Here's the story from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, via the Public Values website.

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Gov't explores public-private partnerships:
New secretariat to evaluate proposals:
By James Wood,

The StarPhoenix

The Saskatchewan Party government is setting up a secretariat to explore the possibility of private sector companies being involved in large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads, schools and health-care facilities.

But while infrastructure dollars are slated to flow from the provincial and federal governments as part of an economic stimulus package, Government Services Minister Dan D'Autremont said the province will proceed slowly when it comes to the public-private partnerships dubbed P3s.

"All of the advice we have received is, 'do not rush,' that you need to have a very clear understanding of what you're looking for and what it is that's being offered and not to be precipitous," the minister said in an interview Tuesday.

At its last meeting two weeks ago, cabinet moved associate deputy minister Mike Shaw from health to government services as the head and first employee of the new P3 secretariat.

The cross-ministerial body will develop the criteria for judging private sector proposals and will have the final say, except for cabinet, on the projects.

The government has set $25 million as the minimum cost of projects for which private sector involvement will be considered, he said.

The Sask. Party government committed $1 billion in this year's budget for infrastructure and has pledged $1.5 billion for the year ahead. Premier Brad Wall recently told reporters the government may accelerate spending as part of stimulus measures, with some of next year's planned dollars potentially being booked into this budget year.

That would also help balance the 2009-10 budget without the government having to dip into reserves.

D'Autremont said he thinks private sector involvement in that sped-up spending would be unlikely, especially since much of it may end up done in partnership with the federal government.

"What they're looking for is projects that are basically close to being ready to go, that they could start on in the near term and P3s in this province would certainly not qualify for that," he said.

P3s have been controversial in any case. The Saskatoon Public School Division's recent musings about the possibility of a company building, owning and operating a school and leasing it back to the division in the Willowgrove neighbourhood drew fire from the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Tom Graham, president of the union in Saskatchewan, said CUPE was heartened to learn from a recent freedom of information request that only two school divisions --
Saskatoon's public and Lloydminster's Roman Catholic -- had expressed interest to the government in P3s.

But he said in a recent interview he's concerned about any dalliance with public-private partnerships. While they are potentially a threat to union members' jobs, the bigger issue is that they are more expensive.

"Someone dreamed them up as a good way to make money for a private company but it's not a good way to provide a public service. It costs more. . . . They just don't really pass the test," said Graham.

A poll, commissioned by CUPE Saskatchewan last month, found 73 per cent of respondents believed facilities such as schools and hospitals should be publicly owned and controlled.

D'Autremont said P3s have a mixed record. British Columbia, which has been in the lead when it comes to such projects in Canada, has seen long-term savings and quality from the public-private Sea-to-Sky Highway, he said.

A P3 school in Nova Scotia, however, failed to meet expectations, said D'Autremont.
The minister said that there are various models for P3s, although the most common would probably see a private company design and build a facility and then charge rent.

With the government services themselves carrying on as normal, there would be no displacement of unionized workers under such a model, he said,

D'Autremont said another use of P3s that would be potentially controversial -- toll roads -- won't happen in Saskatchewan because they simply wouldn't work even if someone wanted to do it.
jwood@sp.canwest.com

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

SFL FILES CHARTER CHALLENGE AGAINST SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT:

Ah yes, the new Saskatchewan Party (read conservative) government of the province of Saskatchewan lost little time in getting to work to erode workers' rights in Molly's old home province. But they have been challenged by the workers of that province, through protests and now through a court challenge claiming that Bills 5 and 6 violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms by denying free collective bargaining and the right to form unions. For more background see the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour website. Here's their press release.

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News Release
SFL Files Charter Challenge of Bills 5 and 6
for immediate release July 29th, 2008
Today the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) filed a Statement of Claim with
the Court of Queen’s Bench, launching a constitutional challenge of Bills 5 and 6.

The Bills were passed in the spring session of the legislature amid protest from workers
and their unions across the province. Union leaders argued that Bills 5 and 6 violate
workers’ rights to free collective bargaining and to organize new unions.

The SFL has campaigned against Bills 5 and 6 to demonstrate to the government the
damaging effects of its labour legislative agenda. Under the legal arm of the campaign,
the SFL will now argue in court that the Bills violate workers’ freedoms under the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The unions will similarly argue that the Bills violate international laws that protect
workers’ rights.

“Bills 5 and 6 reverse a sixty-five year history in our province of recognizing and
expanding workers’ right to organize in order to secure safe working conditions and
decent wages and benefits. The government cannot justify this rolling back of workers’
rights,” said SFL President Larry Hubich.

“In a world where corporate profits soar and income gaps and wage inequality are
widening at an alarming rate, workers need now more than ever the ability to collectively
bargain and to join unions. The labour movement is clear: we have no choice but to
stand up for workers and to defend their right to free collective bargaining,” added
Hubich.

The unions are asking the court to strike down Bills 5 and 6.

As of July 29th, eighteen unions have added their names as co-plaintiffs.

The SFL represents nearly 95,000 unionized workers from 37 affiliated unions in
Saskatchewan.
For more information contact Larry Hubich at 537-7330 or Cara Banks at 533-3423.