2 Monday, June 25, 2018 • Last Mountain Times
NEWS BRIEFS SGEU Public Service seeks strike mandate from members Negotiations between SGEU’s Public Service/ Government Employment (PS/GE) bargaining unit and the Public Service Commission (PSC), which bargains on behalf of the provincial government, have reached an impasse. “Our goal is to achieve a fair collective agreement for the people who provide important front-line public services: the social workers, wildfire fighters, highways workers, lab technicians, administrative professionals, agrologists and corrections officers, along with many others. Their work and commitment to Saskatchewan families should be valued,” said Barry Nowoselsky, chair of the PS/GE Negotiating Committee. “Instead, public service workers have been scapegoated by a government that squanders hundreds of millions on high-priced out-of-province consultants and costly projects, like the Regina Bypass and Global Transportation Hub (GTH), an expensive and questionable carbon capture technology experiment, and the costly LEAN fiasco, just to name a few,” Nowoselsky added. “It’s time for this government to show they value the work performed by our neighbours, family and friends who live and work right here in Saskatchewan.” A strike vote will be conducted across the province throughout July. Bargaining for a new contract for government employees began in October 2016. In February 2018, members were asked to vote on a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The tentative deal was rejected in April. When bargaining resumed in May, the union brought forward proposals on wages, pensions and other contract improvements. Talks broke down in early June. Failing to report workplace injury results in fine A Regina company recently pleaded guilty to one count under Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations in Regina Provincial Court on June 12, 2018. Numbered company 101101469 Saskatchewan Ltd. of Regina pleaded guilty to contravening clause 8(1)(b) of the regulations by failing to give notice to the division as soon as is reasonably possible of every accident at a place of employment that Monday, June 25, 2018 • Last Mountain Times required a worker to be admitted to a hospital as an in-patient for a period of 72 hours or more). The company was fined $2,100, which included a $1,500 fine and $600 surcharge. The charges were laid after a worker sustained injuries to his back and wrists and was taken to hospital on August 3, 2017.Employers and contractors are required to notify OHS if a worker sustains an injury that requires them to be in the hospital for three days or longer. Canadians concerned about ‘fake news’ A strong majority of Canadians are concerned that fake news is making it more difficult to find accurate sources of information, and they want the government to do something about it, according to a new survey. More than eight in ten Canadians agree (51%) or somewhat agree (31%) that the prevalence of false information designed to appear legitimate is making it more difficult to find accurate news, while 17% of Canadians disagree (9%) or somewhat disagree (8%) and one per cent are unsure, according to a survey conducted by Nanos Research for Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). The survey also found that more than seven in ten Canadians agree (38%) or somewhat agree (34%) that government regulation is needed to prevent the proliferation of fake news. One in five disagree (14%) or somewhat disagree (9%) and five percent are unsure. “This is a clear message to governments that Canadians are concerned about the effect of fake news on our democracy,” Tom Henheffer, CJFE Vice President, said. “The survey also found that citizens believe the federal government could do a better job of informing Canadians about its operations.” More than six in ten Canadians say that the federal government is not transparent (35%) or somewhat not transparent (27%) when it comes to information that is available about what governments do, the survey found. Only one in three Canadians think the federal government is transparent (9%) or somewhat transparent (25%) and four percent are unsure. 3