Sask. Party Government Must Remove Failed 'Supervisory Exclusions' From Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2017

SASK. PARTY GOVERNMENT MUST REMOVE FAILED ‘SUPERVISORY EXCLUSIONS’ FROM LEGISLATION

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) is urging the Sask. Party government to remove its failed ‘supervisory exclusions’ from the Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA), before it causes anymore distress for workers and wasted taxpayers’ dollars.

On January 17, 2017, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (LRB) denied an employer’s attempt to remove ‘supervisory employees’ from a unit of CUPE at the Saskatoon Public Library. This case was the first real test of the Sask. Party government’s 2014 changes that allowed employers to carve ‘supervisory employees’ out of their bargaining unit.

“Saskatchewan’s workers, through the Ministers’ Advisory Committee, told the Sask. Party government that supervisory exclusions violated a worker’s right to belong to a union of their choosing,” said SFL president Larry Hubich, “the minister ignored our advice, and as we have seen from the recent LRB ruling, the government made an ill-advised and arrogant decision to ram through these questionable sections of the legislation,” he added.

The LRB noted that the SEA prohibits employer influence in workers’ choice of a union, any employer coercion that may affect a worker’s choice to belong to a union, and any employer interference in the administration of a union. Finally, the LRB stated that permitting employers to exclude supervisors from existing bargaining units would deprive these workers of their union representation and their rights under negotiated collective agreements.

“We warned the Sask. Party government about the supervisory exclusions in the legislation, but they didn’t listen. The government has a well-established pattern of ignoring the reasonable, well-researched advice of the Labour Movement, only to find out we were right when they are taken to court and to other bodies,” said Hubich, “my hope is that the government will, finally, do the right thing by repealing the supervisory exclusion sections of the SEA, and then actually use its Minister’s Advisory Committee in good faith by listening to the concerns of workers,” he added.

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For additional information, contact:

Kent Peterson

Strategic Advisor

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour

o: 1 (306) 525-0197

m: 1 (306) 570-1855
e: k.peterson@sfl.sk.ca