labour reporter
THE
the voice of Saskatchewan’s working families since 1956
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
APRIL 2013
Did you know … The government intends to pass Bill 85 in May, which will virtually eliminate the weekend, the eight-hour workday, and will exclude thousands of working people from joining organizations of their choosing. Read more on Page 6.
>> See Shayna Stock’s poem on page 7.
SFL Equity Conference 2013
Contents
Local artist Shayna Stock addresses equality issues and social justice
Asbestos Registry
he SFL Human Rights Conference brought together close to 100 people from across the province to talk about a wide range of human rights and obstacles equity seeking groups face every day in their workplaces and in society. Held February 4-6 2013, in Moose Jaw, participants and facilitators were able to explore equity issues through a variety of methods. These included “open space” sessions, panel discussions, key note speakers, workshops and art. Participants left the conference with a better understanding of equality issues and tools to support workers. The conference was interspersed with performances by local artist Shayna Stock. Stock is a spoken word performance artist
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who continually amazed the crowd with her poems relating to equality issues and social justice. Her performances culminated in a final poem, consisting of words participants had written about how human rights issues made their senses feel. A copy of the poem is included in this issue of the Labour Reporter. Participants were also treated to a performance by Saskatchewan’s own “Local Onlyz.” An informative and moving presentation was given by Naveen Mehta, UFCW Canada’s Director for Human Rights Equity and Diversity, on the current situation surrounding immigration and temporary foreign workers.
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New program still has a long way to go
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Speaking about violence against women
The trouble with temporary P.4-5 Temporary workers program problematic
SEA the tip of the iceberg
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New law attacks labour regulations
The Universal Declaration
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A poem about human rights in Canada The Labour Reporter is published by the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour. Editor: Heath Smith, h.smith@sfl.sk.ca. Mailing address: 2202445 13th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan. Phone: 306-525-0197 Fax: 306-525-8960 Website: www. sfl.sk.ca Email: sfl@sfl.sk.ca. This newsletter is written by members of CUPE 4828 and designed by a member of GSU Local 5.
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Asbestos public registry still has a long way to go By Bob Sass
Former Executive Director, Occupational Health and Safety Branch, Dept. of Labour (1972-1981)
he SFL has long advocated for a registry of all public buildings containing asbestos, mirroring a recommendation from the World Health Organization. Now, the Saskatchewan government has introduced an asbestos registry, and its information is finally available online to the public. The government completed its list of all provincial public buildings, and the Minister of Health asked all health care regions to complete their list by the end of January. Four of the 12 health care regions now have online listings, while others are in the process of completing their assessments.
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A panel discussion was also held on “Advocating for Human Rights in the New Saskatchewan,” with Peter Gilmer (Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry), Heather Monus (Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission), and Juliana Saxberg (CUPE). The workshops offered at the 2013 Equity Conference included: “Anti-Bullying: Speak Out!,” “Social Change: Where Do You Fit In?,” “Changing Canvas: The Labour Movement Reimagined,” “We Are All Treaty People,” and “Hip Hop: It’s Role in the 21st Century.” Hopefully, this year’s workshops gave participants a broader understanding of equity issues and strategies for creating change. On the final morning, Barb Byers, CLC Executive Vice-President, presented her thoughts on “Equity Within Unions,” what is working and what we need to focus on. Byers was an excellent wrap up to a very informative and empowering conference.
There are already issues surrounding the registry • There are no standards for information required and entries range from very detailed to simply naming the buildings containing asbestos. • The Registry information is not freely available; it can only be accessed for a fee.
Some recommendations • A commission or agency of informed professionals is needed to monitor the reliability and organization of the registry information, and to develop a plan to deal with floods, fires and natural disasters. This commission or panel should ensure schools that have asbestos contamination prohibit children from entering any area suspected of having asbestos fibres to protect them from coming into contact with this deadly carcinogen. • There are 10 Occupational Health and Safety Officers in Saskatoon, nine in Regina (with two vacancies) and four in Prince Albert. Right now, these officers can only react to complaints at best. • A long-term campaign is needed to ensure that deteriorated asbestos fibres be immediately encapsulated and that asbestos in all buildings are monitored is the start of our next stage in this long-term campaign. • The government must take steps to protect the public and should not leave their protection to individual initiatives. Workers, their families and neighbours are not adequately protected from asbestos exposure, and we do not have proper enforcement strategies in place.
The present registry is only a beginning — our campaign has produced the first registry in North America.
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Barb Byers, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
Don Wren, CEP Local 1-S, Member of the SFL Education Committee
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
Join the One Billion Rising revolution By Sarah Cibart Human Justice Practicum Student University of Regina
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ne in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. One billion women violated is an atrocity. One billion women dancing is a revolution. February 14 (the anniversary of the V-Day anti-violence against women movement), kicked off the One Billion Rising campaign, created to continue to acknowledge and fight against the international crisis of violence against women. The mission statement of the movement was encouraging women and men to dance in solidarity on Feb. 14 and raise one finger to recognize the one billion women who face violence. As a young feminist, I try to be quite aware of campaigns fighting violence against women, and this movement wasn’t hard to track. The short film used to promote the One Billion Rising movement went viral through social media (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube). The video was described as a “trigger” for women who had
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
been subject to violence in their lives, as it showed footage of violence being perpetuated. I believe that this video became so present through social media because its literal depiction of violence against women, paired with a message of hope, stirred people’s emotions and, therefore, encouraged them to spread the word. Even for myself, being immersed in social justice and feminism in my workplace, school, and social life, this video re-inspired me to rise up. Another key reason the One Billion Rising campaign was successful was that it served as a platform for people to contribute in whatever measure they felt comfortable. For example, a young man I knew from high school watched the short film on my Facebook wall, and his involvement was as simply clicking “share” for all his friends to watch it and spread the word. On the more active side, a friend living in Ontario called me to say he was doing the One Billion Rising dance on V-Day in a food court. Seeing two young men that I know being engaged in this movement was, to me, a clear sign of the campaign’s success. One Billion Rising is still popular within social media, even after the February 14 Day to
Rise. Using the hashtag #1billionrising on Twitter, tweets are flying out about women rising up. The V-Day page on Facebook is still active among 122,725 users, with international video’s circulating of celebrations and risings that took place on February 14. As we know, social media is key to the achievement of most campaigns today, and One Billion Rising is definite proof. A lot of the young women I know get lost in the mystification of violence against women and cannot even recognize it when they’re facing it in their own lives. We often picture domestic abuse as being between a husband and a controlled housewife in the 1940’s. I’ve noticed that right now there’s a tendency among young women to forget that today one billion women are victims of violence. One Billion Rising encourages solidarity, demystifies the violence that is taking place globally against women, and most importantly offers a sense of hope. Please visit www.onebillionrising.org, watch the short film, and become a part of the One Billion Rising revolution.
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The troubles with The Temporary Foreign Worker Program has become a substitute for offering decent wages and working conditions, and for policies that would encourage permanent immigration or apprenticeship and training opportunities for Canadians.
he face of the working class in Canada is rapidly changing to reflect the growing diversity of working people. In the past few years, a category of marginalized working people has emerged: temporary foreign workers (TFWs). Sometimes referred to as “migrant workers,� TFWs have been a reality in Canada for decades, with programs such as the Seasonal Agricultur-
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al Workers Program and several versions of the Live-in-Caregiver Program. However, a disturbing trend has emerged within Canadian immigration policy, which is fundamentally altering Canada’s demographic makeup. Under the current Conservative government, the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has drastically expanded. Working people in agriculture, food process-
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
temporary ing, manufacturing, construction, service, and hospitality industries, are some of the industries in which TFWs work. In recent years, the number of TFWs admitted to Canada has more than doubled. The largest increase in migrant workers today is in the category “low skilled” migrants. These working people are routinely subjected to numerous rights violations. TFWs in low skilled occupations are especially vulnerable because of their dependence on their sponsor employers. Of course, they also face language barriers, extremely limited access to permanent residency, limited information regarding Canadian laws and services, and inadequate access to rights enforcement mechanisms. Beyond linguistic and geographical barriers, a lack of community networks, reliance on employers for accommodations, transportation, and to purchase necessities like food, migrant working people are also forced to contend with the fact that temporary immigration status is often held out as a carrot for those that believe they are on a track for permanent immigration. The TFWP is rife with stories of suffering, abuse, and exploitation. Employees are often asked to work extra hours without overtime pay, at rates below minimum wage, for different employers in violation of their work permits, and, in the worst cases, even provide sexual favours. While minimum wage is usually the contracted wage, under the threat of deportation many migrant working people earn significantly less. They are usually tied to a single employer and in many cases rely on the employer for housing and transportation. In addition, low skilled migrant workers are not permitted to bring their families to Canada and must endure the term of their work contracts living apart from their spouses, partners, and children. The global economic crisis has made it even more important for working people’s organizations to promote, protect, and defend the rights of migrants, and to help organize migrants into unions. In times of crisis, weak demand for labour increases the likelihood of precarious and irregular employment. Perceived or actual competition for scarce jobs also puts downward pressure on wages in destination coun-
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
tries and spurs xenophobic and discriminatory reactions against migrant working people and their families. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), in 2009 the number of permanent residents who entered Canada totaled 252,000. The number of TFWs for same year was over 280,000. This data reflects a targeted shift from a governmental model favouring permanent residents, who are granted access to legal rights and a path to citizenship, to migrant working people, who are faced with a precarious immigration status and more limited access to legal rights. Statistics Canada data reveals that between 2007 and 2011 30% of net jobs created in Canada went to migrant workers. In fact, hiring TFWs has become standard for many employers. The TFWP has become a substitute for offering decent wages and working conditions, and for policies that would encourage permanent immigration or apprenticeship and training opportunities for Canadians. The TFWP continues to be a dark, painful, and dreary road full of abuse, exploitation, and an utter lack of over site for tens of thousands of people entering Canada annually. Those many people turn a blind eye to the reality - primarily governments and employers - parallels have been drawn to the slave trade and indentured servitude of the colonial era. In addition, shocking numbers of people in Canada remain unaware of the sub-human conditions that many migrants are forced into. Employers across the country are consciously expanding their reliance on migrant
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Naveen Mehta, General Council and Director of Human Rights, Equity, and Diversity, UFCW Canada
working people. Clearly TFWs are no longer a short term solution for perceived labour shortages, but an entrenched element of Canada’s changing workforce. If people are good enough to work in Canada, then they are good enough to be able to stay in Canada with full access to the legal rights afforded to others. Unionization and permanent residency remain the only viable solutions for the deplorable working and living conditions that TFWs are subjected to. For a personal story please go to www. change.org/right2stay, and sign the petition to help Juan Ariza, a temporary foreign worker, achieve permanent residency.
Temporary foreign workers face language barriers, extremely limited access to permanent residency, limited information regarding Canadian laws and services, and inadequate access to rights enforcement mechanisms.
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SEA is just the tip of the iceberg On Dec. 4, the government of Saskatchewan introduced its 184page Bill 85, which will amend 12 pieces of provincial legislation, including The Labour Standards Act, The Occupational Health and Safety Act, and The Trade Union Act. The new Saskatchewan Employment Act, which Bill 85 will establish, is a sweeping rewrite of Saskatchewan’s labour laws.
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he SFL is working with its affiliates on an extensive review of the massive bill, in order to fully understand its potential effects. Unfortunately, however, the government is proposing, within the span of only a few months, to fundamentally change laws that have evolved over decades in our province. If the Saskatchewan Employment Act becomes the replacement for 12 existing laws in Saskatchewan, working people – especially young working people, new Canadians, and other vulnerable workers – will suffer from the watering down of current labour standards. The bill, for example, will make it easier for employers to be exempted from having to pay overtime. The new legislation will also virtually eliminate the weekend, allowing employers to schedule people for more than 40 hours per week. Employers will also be given the right to cancel rest periods and breaks at any point in “emergency circumstances,” which employers will be able to define themselves. Though it appears one of the major effects of Bill 85 will be to weaken current labour standards – standards that have helped protect the Saskatchewan way of life for decades – it will also make it more difficult for working people to join organizations that they choose to join. Thousands of working people could soon lose their right to bargain collectively - a constitutional right - and to join a union of their choosing. Unions in existing workplaces could also be forced to divide into multiple smaller unions, making labour relations between employers and working people’s organizations unnecessarily complex and expensive. As working people strive to earn a living in 6
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our province, the government should not be moving the laws for working in Saskatchewan backward. Instead of eroding working people’s rights and protections, the government should be helping us make life better, together.
Bill 85 will be on the agenda in the Legislature when the House resumes its session in March 2013. The government is trying to ram its changes through by the time the session wraps up in May. Check sfl.sk.ca regularly for updates and analysis.
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, poeticized poetry by Shayna Stock
Article I Let us look with our hearts, not with our eyes Let us feel the collective suffering of our brothers and sisters of Aamjiwnaang as if they lived just down the road Let us keep a warm place in our hearts for those with whom we work and love Let us hold Idle No More and One Billion Rising on our tongues like bread and butter Article II We are a fresh rainbow glistening with raindrops We are every shade of every sunset every sunrise and every changing leaf in autumn a blended mosaic a riot of colour We are a bag full of colourful suckers We are a spice rack We are bullet soup, all in this pot together keeping each other warm in the minus-20 weather We are the mixing of unique blends to make the best cup of tea We are curry Article III Let us find freedom in the rotting leaves of autumn – a reminder that we all return to the earth Let us all enjoy the aroma of a kitchen after cooking a family meal Let us all marvel at fresh rain piercing crisp mountain air or the first ray of sunshine gently kissing our skin at daybreak Let us smell the wild roses at the side of a creek Let us find security in the heat from our grandfathers in the sweat lodge Like fleece or fur or a down comforter, let these rights keep us warm Let them feel as familiar and comforting as bacon on Sunday morning homemade soup freshly baked apple pie the laughter of loved ones or the heartbeat of the drum Article IV Have you ever tasted the air after a thunderstorm – metallic and crisp and fresh? That is the flavour of chains breaking, of barriers shattering. Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
www.shaynastock.com
This is what it feels like to run through the grass in bare feet all peace all pretty all pride and lightning and energized Like a first kiss Article V fair trade coffee deep breaths and puppies in soft fluffy blankets Article VI We are all children of Mother Earth Article XII Don’t come between me and my mother’s cooking don’t rob me of fresh baked bread the sound of eggs breaking orgasm the natural scent of the person I love most or hugs from my Joe Article XIII I will walk through a field of wheat if I want to a snowflake on my face the wind like silk on skin under the full bright moon I will follow the sunset just to exchange the soft, chill music in my car CD player for the sound of the ocean waves Let the northern lights guide me to the lake so clear I can see the minnows swimming Let me follow the blue sky to waterfalls and freedom Article XVIII We are all newborn babies playing in a bed of herbs Dipping church bells in dark chocolate caramel strawberry ice cream Topping wind chimes with a warm cinnamon vanilla blend of ZZ Top and God Save the Queen Let us each seek oneness with the universe through our own unique means Article XIX Let us take inspiration from
the first cry of a newborn baby and her later unquenchable laughter and joy and the birds singing their 5am songs Let this chorus for a chosen few be spoken by many, Let it fill the void of hollow words and actions passed due Like the soulful song of the loon as it sings the moon to sleep Let us sing as if an impossible dream might come true Article XX We are one billion rosy red cheeks rising into smiles We are marching feet, together for miles We are the crackling of an outdoor fire – the sounds of combustion We are sawdust and burnt metal – the smells of construction Article XXIII The smell of sweat from the struggle for equity and equality permeates the walls of our workplaces like the smell of freshly mowed grass by unionized shops permeates our neighbourhoods, reminding us what it feels like to work hard and accomplish our task. Article XXIV cat purring joyous, generous laughter soft cello solos lavender beer fresh air a fish fry and chocolate cake with chocolate icing contentment like the Canadian flag flying on a slightly breezy day Article XXV fresh, clean water fresh air flowing through my lungs sweet, crisp carrots just plucked from the soil flowing rivers, Earth Article XXV(II) sage sweetness flowers comfort food in the oven and strawberries with all the seeds APRIL 2013
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Commu nication
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mark your calendar March 21
Int’l Day for the Elimination of Racism
March 21-22 SFL Shiftwork Conference
SEND us your
April 14-19
SFL/CLC Spring School
April 28
International Day of Mourning
May 1
Int’l Worker’s Day (May Day)
May 17
International Day Against Homophobia
June 9-13
Prairie School For Union Women
ideas!
Snapshots from the Equity Conference (see the story on front page)
Conference delegates debate human rights issues at Temple Gardens in Moose Jaw.
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Elder Betty McKenna opens the 2013 SFL Human Rights Conference.
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour