By: Andrew Stevens | First published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on May 3, 2013:

Sweeping changes to Saskatchewan’s labour relations and employment standards legislation are on the verge of being passed. Bill 85, the Saskatchewan Employment Act, will dramatically transform the laws governing trade unions and industrial relations in the province. The Saskatchewan Party government, led by Premier Brad Wall, insists that the changes will simply modernize and simplify a dozen pieces of existing legislation into a single, omnibus employment act. But workers and trade unions are justified in thinking otherwise.

In 1998, Saskatchewan’s current Minister of the Economy, Bill Boyd, unsuccessfully attempted to pass Bill 218, “An Act respecting the Right to Work (RTW) in the Province of Saskatchewan”, while the Sask Party was in opposition. In fact, debates over right-to-work style reforms and union financial transparency have already been contested in Saskatchewan as Bill 85 developed. But why is Saskatchewan so important in the national context?

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: 

A report tabled in the House of Commons last Friday reveals that the Harper Conservatives nuked more than 15,000 public service jobs last year, 8,000 of them fulltime positions.

Strangely, the cuts seem to be waging a war against Canadian women and the future. 7,000 of the gutted positions benefited students and casual employees, the majority of them women and the youth.

And, as has become common practice by the Conservatives, the report was tabled “quietly”.

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: 

The right-wing’s regressive anti-union rhetoric and U.S.-styled attacks on the labour movement threatens Canada’s prosperity, says a report recently released by the progressive Canadian think tank Broadbent Institute.

The report expresses grave concern about the Conservative government’s current political agenda and “highly-organized right-wing campaign to import American-style anti-labour laws to Canada.”

“Once-extreme ideas have bubbled over to become mainstream policy debate,” says the report, titled “Union Communities, Healthy Communities: The Attach on Unions And Its Threat To Shared Prosperity in Canada“.

By: Union of Canadian Transportation Employees | Press Release:

OTTAWA, May 1, 2013 – The Union that represents Search and Rescue specialists with the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is not surprised at the findings of the Auditor General’s Spring 2013 Report.

“Our members are strong, dedicated individuals so it comes as no surprise that they meet the standard to respond to an emergency 96% of the time.  They should be applauded that they are doing so much despite the challenges they face,” said Christine Collins, National President of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees.

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: 

In the House of Commons Monday, Jason Kenney denied that the Harper Conservatives implemented the 15% wage rule, the cornerstone of the scandal-ridden federal Temporary Foreign Work Program. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration denied that the government implemented this colonialism-style policy, which gave companies “greater flexibility” to hire cheap foreign workers while denying Canadians the jobs they are entitled to.

As if that wasn’t foul enough, the Conservatives have also tried to erase from the Internet some of the official government communication relating to this policy.

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: 

The  Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) says it’s concerned about school bus provider Stock Transportation’s plan to push down wages and other working conditions. In a press release issued last week, CAW said the plan would result in worsening conditions for Toronto elementary and secondary school bus drivers.

“There is clear disconnect between the level of responsibility and the wages and working conditions of school bus drivers,” said CAW Local 4268 Debbie Montgomery. “Employers like Stock Transportation take pride in the company’s safety reputation, but at the same time are pushing to make the driver’s job more difficult and more undesirable.”

By: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE):

April 28 is the International Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. CUPE will honour these workers who have lost their lives or been injured at work, in special ceremonies across the country.

WHO: Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

By: Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association | Press Release:

TORONTO, April 22, 2013 - The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), together with local OECTA units, have donated over $43,000 to support striking Porter Airlines employees.

The workers, who are members of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 343, have been on strike since January 10, 2013. OECTA demonstrated support to Porter workers by joining them in a peaceful protest at Toronto Island’s Billy Bishop Airport and donating almost $1 per member to support COPE members; monies pledged at OECTA’s March 2013 AGM.

By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive:

According to a list recently obtained by the Alberta Federation of Labour, the Royal Bank of Canada, (RBC) is one the thousands of Canadian employers fingered in the unraveling Temporary Foreign Worker scandal.  The document shows that scandals at RBC and other high-profile employers are “just the tip of the iceberg.:

In the following “open letter to Canadians“, the RBC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Gord Nixon, plays victim, apologizes, tells us his bank was/is “compliant with the regulations”.

Then he wants you all to know that “The question for many people is not about doing only what the rules require – it’s about doing what employees, clients, shareholders and Canadians expect of RBC. And that’s something we take very much to heart.”

By: United Steelworkers | Press Release:

TORONTO, April 11, 2013 – The United Steelworkers (USW) is legally challenging the federal government’s approval for RBC and/or iGate to hire temporary foreign workers to replace existing employees.

“We have applied today to the Federal Court to challenge the federal government’s decision,” said Ken Neumann, the USW’s National Director for Canada.