Election Result Has Saskatchewan Labour Looking Over Its Shoulder
Nov 29, 2007
A major concern of the labour movement in Saskatchewan and across Canada with regard to the recent election of the right-of-centre Saskatchewan Party was that they would take regressive steps in important areas such as labour legislation once they formed government.
New Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has now indicated that the first legislative session that starts in a few weeks will indeed include proposed changes to Saskatchewan’s labour law legislation. While the Premier and the head of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour have both indicated that they would like to develop a cooperative relationship, it is less than likely that such will be the case if Wall chooses to reverse very important labour provisions.
On the Saskatchewan Party’s agenda for labour changes are such things as introducing secret ballot union certification votes and to allow an increase in the communication allowed between management and employees during a certification drive. These were campaign promises that, obviously, were strongly supported by Saskatchewan’s business community. They very rightly concerned the labour movement there, however.
At present, union certification in Saskatchewan works on a card-based system. If 50 percent plus one of the workers sign union cards, certification is automatic. Secret ballot formats, such as what’s being proposed by the new government in Saskatchewan, are problematic for labour in that they allow employers to commit significant resources to “winning” the vote through intimidation, harassment and other questionable tactics.
After the Doer government came to power in Manitoba in 1999 it reversed the previous Conservative government’s labour law that allowed for secret ballot votes. Bill 44 stipulated that unionization would be automatic if 65 percent of employees signed cards.
If the Saskatchewan Party also decides to loosen restrictions on management communication during a certification drive, that will only serve to compound these problems and make unionization that much more difficult to achieve. Research evidence has confirmed that workers are more likely to unionize and achieve certification in jurisdictions that rely on a card-based system with the 50 percent plus one requirement for automatic certification.
Hopefully the newly-elected Wall government in Saskatchewan will live up to its word and seek a cooperative and collegial relationship with Labour. If this is the case, perhaps the scope and pace of proposed changes of this nature can be more positively affected by having the voice of Labour at the table. If not, a lot more controversy will surely arise.
Comments
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Can someone please explain how secret ballot votes are a bad thing ? How could the union or the NDP be against it. It shocks me , that the Manitoba NDP reversed the secret ballot process.
JimCotton - 2007-12-02 09:45
I have to agree with Jim, what exactly is the problem with holding secret ballots? The assurance of privacy would tend to be a deterrent to bullying tactics from either side of the issue, allowing people to vote their conscience and not be afraid of repercussions...from either side. This article's claim that secret ballots make the issue more open to harassment and intimidation tactics from management not only doesn't make sense, it's insulting to the readers' intelligence. Just like in an election, it's up to either side to make it's case to the people, and then stand back and let the people decide what's in their best interest...
C.Carrot - 2007-12-11 13:40