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LABOUR DAY 2020
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Why is Labour Day important? P OSTMEDIA CONTENT WORKS
Labour Day has been observed in Canada since 1894, on the first Monday in September. More than a day of rest for Canadians, it is a time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the labour movement and reflect on the benefits that unions have secured for working people and their families. We asked these union leaders to comment on the importance of Labour Day in our time.
JUDY HENLEY President, CUPE Saskatchewan L A B O U R DAY I N T H E T I M E O F C OV I D - 1 9
This week I am reflecting on what Labour Day meant historically, what it will look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and what it may look like in the future. Labour Day, a statutory holiday in Canada since 1894, was created to honour the labour movement and the social and economic achievement of workers. Every year we celebrate the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. We are in a time of uncharted waters for working people in this province. The pandemic has shut down the country, and many parts of the economy. Workers were laid off, forced to self-isolate, or told to work from home. Many of our frontline CUPE members, who provide critical services, were sent to work and risked daily exposure to this deadly virus. Workplaces across the province struggled to provide workers with basic personal protective equipment (PPE). Many workers were called heroes for performing jobs that are difficult and challenging under normal circum-
stances. In fact, COVID-19 has shone a light on the challenges that understaffing, and underfunding have caused in our health care system, our education system and all the public services we rely on. COVID-19 also made it clear how many workers we take for granted. These workers include: childcare workers, custodial staff, grocery store workers, delivery services, along with many other classifications. These workers are also some of the lowest paid in Saskatchewan. I have heard from so many people about how the pandemic has opened their eyes to how important our public services and the workers who provide them, truly are. These workers, and all workers, deserve to be safe at work and well compensated for their time. This Labour Day, as the province continues to reopen, let us not forget the unsung heroes that continued to go to work and the value of all workers serving the public. Treat workers with respect and don’t try to cover the losses of the pandemic by restricting their income and benefits due to deficits. We need to push forward for a better tomorrow—not at the risk of workers’ income or health and safety. Judy Henley is president of CUPE Saskatchewan.
BOB BYMOEN President, Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union (SGEU) C OV I D - 1 9 HIGHLIGHTS I M P O RTA N C E OF LABOUR M OV E M E N T
Each year on the first Monday in September, people across the country celebrate Labour Day. This year will look a little different, with fewer BBQs and community gatherings, but it remains important
to reflect on how far we have come and what we still have to achieve. The past several months have shown the importance of unions and the labour movement in every aspect of our society. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the valuable role that workers across the province play in safeguarding our health, safety, and wellbeing. Many of the people who are deemed essential workers—those who are on the front lines keeping us fed, our health care facilities clean, and our communities functioning and safe—remain some of the lowest paid in Saskatchewan. The crisis we are in should challenge the way we put value on labour and spur us to continue seeking fair pay for all workers. This pandemic has also highlighted the right to a safe workplace. There are many people across the province who have returned or will be returning to work and are unsure or fearful about the conditions they’ll face. With schools across the province opening and the very real possibility of a second wave of outbreaks, many are worried that their work puts them and their families at risk. We cannot continue to force people to choose between their health and their livelihood. While we can celebrate the progress that has been made through the years, such as an eight-hour work day, minimum wage, health benefits, parental leave, sick leave, and occupational health and safety laws, it is also a time to recognize the work that remains to create a more equitable Saskatchewan. Those in the labour movement have long fought for economic security and fairness in the workplace but equally have worked to ensure social justice, equality, and respect for everyone in our communities. I am tremendously proud of how the 20,000 members of SGEU have collectively navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on their professional and personal lives. Whether they work in health care, corrections, social services, education, Crown corporations, retail regulatory, or in the many other public, non-profit, and private sector workplaces SGEU represents, SGEU members have con-
tinued to deliver high-quality, reliable services under challenging and constantly changing conditions. Our members are also your family members, friends, neighbours, coaches, and volunteers. They continue to work toward a safe, fair and strong province, whether at their workplace or in their communities. On behalf of SGEU and its members, I wish you all a happy Labour Day. Bob Bymoen is president of SGEU.
LORI JOHB President, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) F RO N T L I N E WORKERS CAST ASIDE
It’s 2020 and we’re in the midst of a pandemic so this question is significant and deserves a thoughtful and direct response. Saskatchewan workers gave all Canadian workers a framework for safe workplaces, the right to refuse unsafe work, the right to know the hazards in a workplace, and the right to participate to make jobs safer. Saskatchewan workers fought hard against the Sask Party government to give all Canadian workers the right to strike. Saskatchewan workers, you should be proud on Labour Day—you’ve accomplished a lot. Recently, frontline workers were recognized by governments, employers, and the public as vital and were depended upon to guide us through this pandemic. However, once the provincial government and CEOs realized the pandemic wasn’t going away, the ‘vital workers’ and ‘frontline heroes’ were cast aside and so was their small wage top-up. These workers continue to provide pivotal services—while shareholders collect a few extra cents per share from the cancellation of frontline hero wage top-ups.
Saskatchewan workers have fought, and continue to fight, for the rights of all workers to join a union, walk a picket, bargain fairly, and to have decent rules around layoff and recall. Looking out for one another is a Saskatchewan value; demanding fairness is in our very nature. We see the Sask Party government now making changes to legislation that strip workers of their hard-earned rights. What the provincial government doesn’t understand is these attacks will only strengthen our resolve. Workers will continue to fight for high-quality health care, good pensions, pharmacare, accessible childcare, safe workplaces, human rights, and other important issues. On October 26, 2020— Election Day—we will remind our provincial government that Saskatchewan workers deserve the rights they’ve fought for. We deserve a government that puts workers first. The most troubling fact about all of this is, after all the sacrifices and victories of Saskatchewan workers, the provincial government still doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of Labour Day. Lori Johb is president of SFL
BARB CAPE President, SEIU-West W O R K E R S D E S E RV E T O B E R E S PE C T E D A N D VA L U E D
For union members and leaders, there’s an often-asked question about Labour Day: ‘What does Labour Day even mean anymore? Surely employers will provide fairness and recognition?’ Well, no that’s not necessarily how it works for working people— whether they’re in a union or not. This COVID-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to the essential nature of work and those jobs we take for grant-
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COURAGE. COMMITMENT.
THANK YOU, FRONT-LINE WORKERS.
ed. Fast food workers, grocery store staff, health care workers, staff who work in our schools, people providing care within community group homes—the heroes that we’ve been applauding every single day while we stay home and keep safe. They go out, risk their health and the health of their families, to keep services and care running. Beyond that, our eyes have been opened to delivery staff, people working on the essential supply chain, truck drivers, those who produce our food, soap, hand sanitizer, and yes, toilet paper! Their importance to our well-being, our safety, and the essential need we have for them is worthy of our respect, thanks and compensation for a job welldone. Until this pandemic, we took these workers for granted, but we’ve gained some understanding of how important their work is to our own well-being and safety. The recognition of Labour Day is a celebration of these workers—of all workers, because we all provide a skill that is relied on. That service should be recognized and respected. From our very early days fighting for an eight-hour workday and ending child labour, unions have endeavored to see that people are fairly compensated and treated with the respect inherently deserved by those working to make a living. There is a nobility in that kind of labour. When you add to this the fact that those unseen jobs are key to our safety and survival as a species, it brings Labour Day into a new focus. Our labour isn’t simply to provide profit to corporations or businesses, it’s to keep us all safe, fed and healthy and making progress in legislation and rights in the workplace. Unions advanced the ideas we now take for granted: Employment Insurance, maternity and parental rights, safety at work, and bargaining. These are things we take for granted today, but are vulnerable to attack and being rolled back. Whether we are in a pandemic or not, it’s the dignity of all work and workers that we should be respecting and valuing, not taking for granted. Barb Cape is president SEIU-West.
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LABOUR DAY 2020
SUN: All frontline workers deserve recognition this Labour Day BY PAT REDIGER
As the fall season approaches, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) is celebrating the good work of unionized and nonunionized frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, while preparing to support teachers, parents and students with the re-opening of schools. Since a state of emergenc y was initially declared in Saskatchewan on March 18, essential services like grocery stores, gas stations and hospitals have continued to operate. These essential workers have kept Saskatchewan’s people safe, fed, mobile and healthy during uncertain times—truly a demonstration of a workforce leading the way. It’s to protect these frontline workers that unions like SUN, which represents more than 10,000 registered nurses in Saskatche wa n, have been vocal advocates for better personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety precautions, as well as more transparency from government. A safe work environment, fair and equitable wages, and recognition for their hard and selfless work: these are the demands of unions, for both members and non-unionized workers alike. Entering the fall season and the reopening of schools, SUN is highlighting the importance of keeping COVID-19 case numbers low through social distancing, wearing non-medical masks in public, and practicing good hygiene. Keeping trans-
mission low serves us all by protecting our essential workforce, including registered nurses, who are busy caring for patients during a challenging time that includes both pandemic health care and the resumption of regular health service delivery. SUN president Trac y Zambory says we all must take these measures to mitigate the risks to students and staff as well. “Nobody knows for sure what is going to happen once school goes back,” she says, pointing out that low case numbers in the public will help keep schools open and safe. There are ongoing discussions about the effects of the Coronavirus on children, and Zambory said that the evidence suggests children are susceptible to the virus and are not as resilient as earlier predicted. “Schools carry our most important assets which are our children. The future is the children,” says Zambory. An additional concern is that children can be carriers. When students are together for school, they can spread or bring the virus home to the most vulnerable population: their grandparents. “ We a r e n o t h e r e t o create the health plan but to simply help any way we can,” says Zambor y, regarding SUN ’s position on schools reopening. She advises that everyone can support schools, school staff and students by following the Public Health Order and listening to the advice of medical professionals. Zambory said that she hopes there can be im-
p r o v e d c o m m u n i c at i o n between the Ministry of He a l t h , a n d r e g i s t e r e d nurses in the future. Nurse inclusion has been a topic of disc ussion for many years and Zambory said it is important for registered nurses to be involved in the decision-making process since they play a significant role in implementing these decisions. “The fight for collaboration for both rural and urban nurses is ongoing. We deserve to have our professionalism, knowledge, and scientific methodology that we use on a daily basis to be recognized. Registered nurses should not fall through the cracks. We are ready to sit down and be part of the solutions moving forward,” says Zambory. SUN will continue to have critical conversations with the government, other health care stakeholders, and the public on what is required to keep people healthy and safe. “We must be willing to have tough conversations for the patients, for people, and for society,” she says. The willingness to have t o u g h c o nv e r s at i o n s i s a t ra d e m a r k o f l a b o u r unions, who continue to call for better treatment, equitable wages for workers and safer workplaces. This Labour Day, according to SUN, it is the Saskatchewan public that can be the greatest defender of its workforce, economy and schools, by taking extra precautions to keep COVID-19 cases low and the population healthy. Solidarity as a province, regardless of union affiliation, will guide Saskatchewan through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses has advocated for better personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety precautions, as well as more transparency from government. (PHOTO: SUN)
REGISTERED NURSES ON THE FRONTLINES OF HEALTH CARE.
SUN promotes safe patient care by ensuring its members are always supported in their workplaces, so registered nurses can be a voice for patients when they cannot speak for themselves.
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LABOUR DAY 2020
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Time to change Canada’s business model: UFCW BY CAROL T ODD
The head of one of Canada’s largest unions says it’s time to break the wheel and change the way businesses are operated. Paul Meinema, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), says it’s time to change the business model that drives many companies. “It’s time to change the model,” Meinema says, wherein businesses believe that, to be productive, it is necessary to pay their employees as little as possible. “I think where we are in Canada right now—probably in North America—they have to look at these models that we have for retail that demand that we have to pay the lowest possible rate, or minimum wage, to survive. That’s not a requirement of the business— that’s the model they design,” he says. But, he says, curtailing the minimum wage or introducing so-called “right to work” legislation, does not have the economic impact that the proponents claim. “We see that the economies in those (U.S.) states do not get the boost that these right wing governments insist they get. Clearly they do not get those boosts,” he says, adding the net result is often lower wages and lower productivity. The same can be said of the minimum wage in Canada, where attempts to increase the wage are met with the same kind of reaction from the business community. “There’s always the group that says the sky is falling if the minimum wage goes up: ‘We’re going to lose these fastfood restaurants. We’re going to do all these things.’ But the reality is that’s never been the case,” he says. In fact, he says, the opposite is the case, as workers will have more money to spend.
“There are more tax dollars and there’s more economy driven,” he says. A 2018 report to StatsCan stated there is no consensus as to the immediate, mid-term and long-term impact of minimum wage increases. When the minimum wage in Saskatchewan increases to $11.45 on October 1, it will still be the second-lowest in the country. Meanwhile, analyses by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives show that a living wage in Saskatoon and Regina would fall between $16 and $17 an hour. One-fifth of the province’s workers make less than $15/hour and Statistics Canada says that, in 2018, three per cent of the province’s workers made minimum wage. “It’s shameful in Saskatchewan, with a province as prosperous as we have and the resources that we have, it’s shameful to have the second-lowest minimum wage,” Meinema says. UFCW is working with
federations of labour across Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the Fight for $15 organization, to push for increases to the minimum wage in Saskatchewan and across the country. Meinema says recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, have shone a light on the inequities in non-unionized workplaces, including the treatment of women, people of colour and Indigenous people. “From a broad perspective, every inequality that we have affects all of us. That’s the large thing that people need to appreciate—when we allow inequality to occur it has an impact on all of us. It has an impact on our economy, it has an impact on our family lives, it has an impact on the workplace,” he says. He points out that women, in particular, provide many of the services by non-government agencies and other
TEAMSTERS Local Union No. 395 LABOUR DAY
Brought to you by hard working women and men fighting to win dignity, respect & rights on the job 1515 Park St. Regina, SK. (306) 569-9259 201 2225 Hanselman Court Saskatoon, SK. (306) 382-7868
community-based organizations such as day cares. “The research is very clear that women are making 67 cents on the dollar. It’s shameful for a country like Canada to be in this spot.” On the positive side, Meinema says COVID-19 has also allowed those workers who, in the past, were often overlooked such as grocery store clerks or food processors, to take centre stage. “What’s been demonstrated in Canada, those jobs that we used to look past are some of our most important jobs. If we didn’t have food processing or didn’t have retail workers, where would we have been during COVID? So during COVID they all became heroes,” he says. Meinema stresses that those workers, and others across Canada should continue to recognized for their contributions. “They’re always putting food on the table, not just during a pandemic,” he says. He is hopeful that one of the results of the pandemic will be that kind of acknowledgement.
“We’re very hopeful that there is a societal change in that we understand the value of all jobs,” he says. UFCW represents more
than a quarter of a million workers in every aspect of the food chain, as well as health care, security, non-food manufacturing and other sectors.
Carpenters Union Local 1985
HAPPY LABOUR DAY! As you enjoy your long weekend, take time to remember the labour movement pioneers who have helped to secure the rights and benefits we enjoy today in Canada.
2551 Albert St. N. Regina 306-585-0900 3730 Kinnear Pl. Saskatoon 306-382-4355
Labour Day: September 7, 2020
Whether we are in a pandemic or not, it’s the dignity of all work and workers that we should be respecting and valuing, not Name: Brenda taking for granted. Occupation: Continuing Care Assistant AKA: CCA
Leader of the NDP Official Opposition
Ryan Meili
Fighting for workers.
Putting people first. SEIUWEST.ca A lack of paid sick days and the low wages earned by countless public-facing workers means that many can’t afford to stay home when they need to. Let this Labour Day be a reminder that no worker should be forced to choose between their health and their livelihood.
Let’s create a more
EQUITABLE SASKATCHEWAN
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LABOUR DAY 2020
Unions help pave the path forward to a safe restart BY ELIZABETH IRELAND
This Labour Day is certainly one of the most unusual in memory. Canadian union and labour organization members usually commemorate the day with large picnics and marches. Labour Day has historically been a time to celebrate the year’s successes and to acknowledge challenges. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is fighting for important measures to ensure workers’ safety both during the pandemic and as workers return to their workplaces. Canadian unions are welcoming the inclusion of job-protected sick leave in the “Safe Restart” agreement reached between the federal and provincial governments. The agreement is focused on actions to help Canadian workers during this challenging time. The CLC is the largest labour organization in Canada, bringing together dozens of national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and community-based labour councils to represent more than three million workers. The CLC represents workers who help keep our country safe, such as food service workers, nurses, municipal workers and the public service workers who have been processing applications for aid throughout the pandemic. CLC president Hassan Yussuff believes that important issues faced by Canadian workers have further come to the forefront since the COVID-19 pandemic began. For example, Canadian workers have been fighting for paid sick leave to ensure that all workers can
take time off when they are sick and need to self-isolate, which in turn will help prevent risking the health of their coworkers and families. “Paid sick leave is paramount to us,” says Yussuff. Originally trained as a trailer mechanic, Yussuff immigrated to Canada from Guyana as a young man. He then worked his way up to heavy truck mechanic at General Motors before becoming a labour leader. Yussuff was first elected to the CLC president position in May 2014. The CLC worked closely with the federal government to ensure workers’ interests were at the forefront throughout the COVID-19 response. That included contributing to discussions on the creation of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which Yussuff describes as a “brilliant, collaborative and a remarkable effort.” CERB was set up to give financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who are directly affected by COVID-19. . As of Aug.2, total unique CERB applicants have reached 8.5 million and the total value of CERB benefits paid is $64.3 billion. While updates to the Employment Insurance (EI) system are happening day by day, Yussuff believes that payments need to be accessible, fast and an adequate amount for workers to pay their rent, buy groceries and support their families. The CLC wants to ensure changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) system to support workers who will no longer be covered by the federal CERB benefit in the fall. The CLC also supports access to training through the introduction of a pilot pro-
gram to allow EI claimants to enrol in educational programs without disqualification from receiving EI benefits. In a labour market where job opportunities are scarce, laid-off and unemployed workers should be encouraged to reskill and upskill. Yussuff points out that the challenging labour market conditions that began in March 2020 have disproportionately impacted low-wage workers and those in the service industry. “We also believe that establishing a wage subsidy program for employers was a great idea. It provides a continued attachment between the employer and the worker and means that workers can continue to receive their benefits. It is a dishonest characterization that Canadian
workers do not want to return to work and that they want to stay home and collect the CERB,” adds Yussuff. Despite these important initiatives, he notes that many workers continue to struggle. “Through no fault of their own, most hotel, restaurant and other service workers are heavily impacted by COVID-19 and many remain off the job. The restart of the Canadian economy is uneven due to childcare issues and the unfairness of women having to carry the burden of childcare, as well as all of the uncertainty surrounding the reopening of schools. As a labour organization, the CLC also has decades of advocating for national childcare.” During a “Safe Restart” what other precautions does the CLC want employers to
United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1400 A diverse and inclusive union for all workers
CELEBRATES LABOUR DAY 2020 THROUGHOUT SASKATCHEWAN
Today, we honour all the men and women who work to enrich our province.
take? The CLC supports adequate PPE in the workplace, as well as proper sanitization and workplace monitoring, especially for those workers with vulnerable family members that they return home to each night. One of the CLC’s ongoing efforts remains a universal prescription drug plan to be administered by the Canadian federal government. The CLC has been advocating for a national pharmacare campaign and Yussuff says that such a program is now more important than ever. “Every Canadian should have equal access to the prescription drugs they need regardless of where they live. It’s time for a universal pharmacare program in Canada. The pandemic has further emphasized the need for this
Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff says the pandemic has heightened awareness of important workplace issues including job-protected sick leave and the need for a national pharmacare plan. ( SUPPLIED PHOTO)
health care benefit, especially as workers’ health can deteriorate during and potentially after COVID-19,” says Yussuff.
From nursing homes to banks, steel mills to mines, forestry, energy, manufacturing and more . . .
THE UNITED STEELWORKERS The Union that WORKS for Canadians in Every sector of the economy Labour Day is OUR day Steelworkers Saskatoon Area Council USW Locals 5890, 5917(Regina), 6717 (Weyburn) South Sask Area Council 306-382-2122 (Saskatoon) 306-569-9663 (Regina)