LMT June 25 2018

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.
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