FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release – December 20, 2007

Saskatchewan government turns on working people

The new Saskatchewan government has trained its sights on working people without having a mandate to change the province’s labour laws, says a representative from one of the province’s largest unions.

Wendy Sol, administrative vice-president for CEP’s Western region, said that CEP condemns the tabled changes to the province’s labour laws. The changes announced by the government on Wednesday remove automatic certification for unions organizing new members, allow more interference from the employer in a union drive and introduce sweeping “essential services” legislation that removes democracy from the bargaining process for public employees.

“This government was elected because the people of Saskatchewan believed they would best steer the province through its booming economy. They were not elected to destroy the democratic rights of working people,” said Sol. CEP represents about 10,000 employees in Saskatchewan, many of them in public services such as SaskTel, SaskWater and SaskPower.

Sol noted that the minister now in charge of the changes actually stated in the election campaign that essential services legislation was unnecessary and that his government would work with unions to work out essential services agreements.

“Where is that consultation now?” asked Sol. “This government, smug in its majority, is now stomping on Saskatchewan’s working people.”

Saskatchewan’s progressive and balanced labour environment is now being turned backward, said Sol.

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