RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Yukon Employees’ Union 2285-2nd Ave. Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1C9
Yukon Employees’ Union November 2019
NEWS
NOT your EFFICIENCY. Supply Services. Central Stores. Queen’s Printer Last December, Highways and Public Works Deputy Minister Jamie Pitfield called a surprise meeting and announced a review of Supply Services, looking for efficiencies within the branch. He said the announcement was being made to quell rumours, and that no-one should worry about job losses. Not surprisingly, we began to worry about job losses, and what this review might mean. Many of us had already noticed strange inconsistencies in the 2018/2019 budget for Queen’s Printer. There was a cut of almost a half a million dollars under the payroll column. When we asked about this drastic cut, we were ignored. We turned to the Union, and brought our concerns to the Respectful Workplaces Office. On Thursday October 17, DM Jamie Pitfield called another surprise meeting where he coldly announced that both Central Stores and Queen's Printer were to be closed down, dissolved. I was shocked to my core. My heart was racing and I was physically shaking. I could barely control my emotions to even think clearly. I tried hard to compose myself to remain professional, but I could not stop the tears. HR had scheduled meetings with each “affected worker’ for the very next day, Friday, to find out what would happen to our jobs, to our lives. Right after being told QP and Stores were being dismantled, we had to somehow pull ourselves together as we were told to walk down to the Warehouse to watch and listen as the same announcement was made to the rest of our co-workers. We were told of this move about ten minutes before a global message went out to everyone in YG. That felt like a slap like our employer doesn’t respect us at all. The Queen's Printer is a national institution; first formed in Canada as an Act of Parliament shortly after Confederation in 1886. QP’s existence is legislated, and governed by the Yukon’s Public Printing Act and Regulations.
The work of the QP has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of government. In fact, we no longer have printing presses, but do much of our publishing on-line. The public is accustomed to accessing the products we create digitally, often through our government website. I would love to see the feasibility study that they say this will save the taxpayer $1.6 million; We were told the change is designed to save money; but how? How can money be saved if we are still being paid to do the same work, but less efficiently then we are doing it now? Many of the Queen’s Printer positions are funded in part through legislative appropriation - so won’t the employer lose that funding by dissolving Queen’s Printer? What savings can honestly be expected by eliminating Central Stores? Schools will have to negotiate their own supply contracts, and will have to store everything they need. That all means more money, more time wasted, and a much bigger carbon footprint. It just doesn’t make sense. The Yukon communities that rely on Central Stores for supplies will be hardest hit. They are isolated. Community Health Centre staff are too busy to be running around to find supplies. Richard Mostyn says this will help grow small business; the businesses we’ve heard from are in shock, and trying to figure out what will happen to their existing supply contracts. They’re also worried because they don’t have the space to store supplies for government, and they don’t have the trucks and delivery people to send trucks all over the territory filling orders. Closing us down won’t save money; it will add cost and needless complication to the business of the Yukon Government. We need your support. If your workplace will be affected negatively by this change, let YEU know so they can help us fight for these services and the jobs we love. Aggregate article composed of words and insights from workers in the Supply Services Branch.