Submitted
SEIU-West members and leadership will be keeping an eye on the proceedings of the Saskatchewan legislature this fall as new labour legislation will be tabled by the Sask Party government.
“We remain concerned that the issues that workers’ have raised in their letters will not be given proper consideration,” says Janice Platzke, Treasurer of SEIU-West. “Over two hundred of our own members made submissions to the government’s consultation process in the hopes that their views will make a difference to the people they elected into provincial office.”
More than 200 SEIU-West members participated in the Consultation process by submitting their individual letters to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. A significant number of those members highlighted the need for the government to reform the essential services law, as directed by the Court of Queen’s Bench.
“Unlike the hastily assembled essential services law, there was an attempt to consult this time around,” said Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West. “However, 90 days is not adequate enough time to thoroughly review 15 pieces of legislation when you are trying to create fair and balanced set of labour laws, even though Minister Morgan has commented publicly to the contrary.”
SEIU-West has been consistent in their identification of possible solutions to fix the problems with the essential services legislation, which was found to be in violation of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canada on February 6, 2012.
“We want what’s best for our members and for the citizens of this province. We want to continue to see Saskatchewan move forward,” continued Platzke. “Regressive labour laws that pull us back 50 to 75 years, won’t achieve any of those goals.”
SEIU-West represents approximately twelve thousand working people in the province of Saskatchewan. They include members who work in healthcare, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes and other sectors.
