CANADIAN LABOUR SASKATCHEWAN:

RALLY TO SAVE REGINA WELFARE RIGHTS CENTRE:

You can be assured that something like a 'Welfare Rights Centre' wouldn't be of top of the popularity list of people such as Saskatchewan Party (conservative) Premier Brad Wall. After all the idea that anybody on welfare has "rights" is enough to double the necessary dose of blood pressure meds for such as these. That's all fine and good, but then the employees of this centre had the effrontery to actually unionize in Local 4973 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). When a campaign of harassment and selective dismissals failed to bend the workers involved it was time to close the centre entirely which is happening this month. What follows is a news story from CUPE about a demonstration held on the 24th of January to demand the centre stay open.

The government has replied to a continued campaign for the centre with a stony silence, but no doubt there is a certain amount of smug glee amongst conservative ideologues in Molly's old home province. After 35 years of operation there is suddenly no longer any need for an ombudsman-like agency to advocate for the poor ? Now that a bright new day of free enterprise has dawned the poor are at last free to go out and get jobs...or perhaps free to starve to death silently.

Now I must say that I am not a great fan of the welfare system. Even without some almost miraculous change to a new and freer society, however, there are better ways to handle the actual problems than what has been created by decades of bureaucratic empire building. Better for both the recipients and for society in general. If, however, we are stuck with the system as it is, or with only minor tinkering with it, then the existence of an outside advocate for people trapped in the system is essential. It's the old "division of power" and "checks and balances" idea that is actually one of the better inventions to come about in politics. Without such an advocate welfare recipients are reduced to little more than helpless toys in the hands of a bureaucracy.

But enough editorializing. Here's the story. You can follow the story more as it develops at the website of the Saskatchewan division of CUPE or at the 'Support Welfare Rights Workers' Facebook page.

WRWRWRWRWR

Regina Welfare Rights rally

“Who is going to care for our clients? How will they cope?” asks Theresa Poness, a staff member at the Welfare Rights Centre in Regina.

Speaking at a rally in downtown Regina on January 24, Poness said she and her co-workers, members of CUPE 4973, are worried about how Regina’s most vulnerable citizens will manage when the Centre’s doors close next month.

The Welfare Rights Centre has provided advocacy and support services for people on low incomes for 35 years. But the government plans to terminate the Centre’s funding on February 25.

That doesn’t sit well with CUPE and anti-poverty activists. They have been trying to arrange a meeting with Social Services Minister June Draude for months, but have received no response. Yesterday, they took their concerns to the front door of the Social Services building.

“Silence is not an appropriate response from a Minister,” CUPE National President Paul Moist told the rally. Moist attended the rally with National Secretary-Treasurer Claude Généreux and CUPE staff. “People on low-incomes in this city need these services and our members need these jobs.” He urged the Minister to arrange a meeting.

Anti-poverty activist Peter Gilmer told the crowd, “The city desperately needs to maintain the valuable work of the Welfare Rights Centre,” noting other anti-poverty groups don’t have the capacity to handle the extra workload.

“Advocacy is a critically important service,” Gilmer said. “Those with wealth and power can protect their own interests. We need more people, not less, to defend those who cannot. We must ensure these services continue,” he told the rally.

For more information, check out CUPE’s facebook page Support Welfare Rights Workers

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT SASKATOON:
THE SASKATOON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR:


Coming up this weekend out in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, the Saskatoon Anarchist Bookfair. Here's a brief announcement from their facebook group. You can get more info from the website linked above. The following has been slightly edited for the sake of coherence (eg noon is 12 pm not 12 am, etc.).
@@@@@@@@@@


2010 Saskatoon Anarchist Bookfair
Time
Friday December 3 at 6:00pm - December 5 at 12:00pm

----------------------
Location
Grace-Westminster United Church
505 10th St. East
Saskatoon, SK

------------------------
More Info
The Saskatoon Anarchist Bookfair is back with two days of workshops, speakers, literature/art vendors, food, entertainment, and nice people. The main event will be held at Grace-Westminster Church (505 10th St E) with a party/concert at Cosmo Senior's Centre on the Saturday night. The whole weekend is free/by donation, all ages, and vegan-friendly.

With participants coming from across western Canada, it's a perfect opportunity to...... share ideas & meet interesting folks. Everyone is welcome - this isn't just for those who self-identify as anarchists. Discussions will cover wide range of political/personal topics and views. Anyone interested in tabling or participating in some way is asked to get in touch with the organizing committee.

E-mail: saskatoonanarchy@gmail.com
Blog: http://saskatoonanarchy.blogspot.com/

Info about our speaker Friday night:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129482140443512

Workshop Schedule!

12 p.m.- "Books Through Bars and Prisoner Solidarity" with Cam

2 p.m.- Jan's "Meditate and Destroy" A free meditation workshop for activists & anyone needing to centre, de-brief and practice self-cultivation

2 p.m (in second room)- "Make your own Chapbook" with Stephen Rutherford from Tonight It's Poetry. *Space Limited to ten people*

3 p.m.- "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" with Val Zinc from Briarpatch magazine

3 p.m. (other room)- Transition Saskatoon
with Malinda

4 p.m.- "Saskatchewan: the New Alberta. A look at Sask Party's environmental attacks and the Tar Sands"
with Billy Patterson

CANADIAN POLITICS:
FURTHER CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS ON THE G20 FALLOUT:


The repercussions of the police riot during last summer's G20 summit in Toronto continue to echo, as do the issues raised by the demonstrators there. The following is a compilation of upcoming events in Toronto and elsewhere relevant to this issue. It comes from the Toronto Community Solidarity Network.
G20G20G20G20G20G20


A Call for Court Support + Upcoming G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers & Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events

A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:

November 30-December 2 - G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge - Jaggi Singh

B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:

Toronto:

November 30 -PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!
December 3 - Radical Movie Night
December 18 - AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!

Saskatchewan:

November 29 - Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression
December 3 - Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing
Radical Cookbook Callout - Your Recipes Needed!

C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:

December 1 - Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!
December 4 - People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:

-G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge continues at Ontario Superior Court
-Defendant to ask that all bail conditions are rescinded, including ban on demonstrations

When: Tuesday, November 30, 10am
Where: Ontario Superior Court at 361 University Avenue
between Dundas & Queen Street
(for exact courtroom location, look for “Singh, Jaggi” on the court roll)

If you oppose the restrictive bail conditions imposed on all G20 “conspiracy” defendants – ban on demonstrations, house arrest, non-association, ban on passports and cellphones, and more -- we ask that you attend court in large numbers this TUESDAY.

The bail review might continue on Wednesday and Thursday, but we’ll provide more details after the Tuesday hearing, which this time is expected to last most of the day. We are hoping as many people as possible can attend the beginning of the hearings on Tuesday from 10am to 1pm (approx) and then again from 2pm-4:30pm (approx).

BACKGROUND:

This week, starting on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, one of the 19 remaining co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case will be challenging all bail conditions imposed as conditions of release from prison.

These restrictive and onerous conditions include house arrest, non-association with various individuals and groups, the inability to possess a passport or to use a cell phone, and more. Other co-accused face even more restrictive curfews and house arrest conditions. In sum, the bail conditions are meant to keep defendants isolated and marginalized from their communities of support.

The conditions themselves constitute punishment of fellow community organizers before they’ve even had a trial.

Significantly, the bail conditions include a ban on participating, organizing or attending “any public demonstration.” These restrictive conditions have been used to jail co-accused Alex Hundert for simply speaking at a university panel. Alex remains in detention, and is expected to remain in detention until at least January/February 2011.

Jaggi Singh, a member of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) and No One Is Illegal-Montreal, and a co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case, has been under house arrest conditions for four months. This Tuesday, with the support of Toronto lawyer Peter Rosenthal as well as other allies, he will ask that all conditions be rescinded.

Jaggi’s court application is supported by various witnesses and affidavits. Part of the application includes an extended affidavit by Bryan Palmer, an historian of labour and social movements.

PEN Canada will also be intervening in the case in support of rescinding the “no demonstration” condition. In their words: “Preventing someone from participating in a public demonstration does nothing to ensure the safety of a single Canadian.”

The Ligue des droits et libertés from Québec also issued a public statement in support of Jaggi’s challenge. They describe the bail conditions as "draconian" and "an abusive interpretation" of the Charter, "contrary to the presumption of innocence.”

We strongly encourage you to “demonstrate” (pardon the word) in court and to the public that there is a community of support that rejects the bail conditions that have been imposed on our friends and allies. So, if you can, please attend court this TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, whether for 30 minutes, or the whole day.

[NOTE: There is a compulsory search before entering the Court building; the search includes emptying your pockets, going through a metal detector, as well as a x-ray scan of any bag or package you’re bringing into the building.]

TO STAY IN TOUCH, and for updates:
La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC (Montreal): blocampmontreal@gmail.com - www.clac2010.net
Community Solidarity Network (Toronto): community.mobilize@resist.ca - http://g20.torontomobilize.org/

SUPPORTERS AND MEDIA can get updates about what’s happening at court by phoning Jessica Denyer (Community Solidarity Network) at 416-708-3195, Craig Fortier (No One Is Illegal-Toronto) at 416-735-0409, or Blandine Juchs (La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC) at 438-838-8498.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:

TORONTO:

PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!

Date: November 30
Time: 8:30-11:30pm EST
Location: SOYBOMB! (156 Bathurst St., Toronto ON)

Exploring Forgotten Urban Spaces
This week we look into forgotten urban spaces, the people who explore them for fun, and the people who live in them.

Dark Days (2000)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235327/
"A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City. "

Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1249189 /
"A documentary about abandoned, neglected, or otherwise "off limits" places...and the people who explore them."

-----------
This is a pay-what-you-can series of documentary screenings every Tuesday @ Soybomb, and all the proceeds will be donated to the G20 Legal Defence Fund. for more info check: http://g20.torontomobilize.org/support

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126316160763227
FB Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117635874952714

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Radical Movie Night

Date: December 3
Time: 7pm-midnight EST
Location: Bike Pirates (1292 Bloor St W., Toronto ON)

On Friday December 3rd we will be hosting a radical movie night to raise funds for our friends and allies facing G20 related legal charges.

Come join us for an amazing night of movies, drinks, board games, snacks, hanging out, and all around rockin good times.

Newly designed G20 Legal Defence Tshirts & patches will also be for sale.

7pm – 9pm: Land and Freedom (Tierra y Libertad)

Directed by Ken Loach, this 1995 film narrates the story of David Carr, an unemployed worker of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who decides to fight for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. A heart wrenching portrayal of the attempt by ordinary people to build an anarchist society, and its subsequent betrayal. The movie won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.

10:30-midnight: What to do in Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn’s brennt?)

Directed by Gregor Schnitzler, this 2002 film tells the humorous and touching story of six anarchist friends living as squatters in Berlin in the 80s, when they leave a handcrafted bomb in a mansion. Only thirteen years later the bomb explodes, wounding two people, forcing the group to reunite and, ultimately, come to grips with the reason they separated years ago.

Free popcorn!

Pay what you can (suggested $5-10). Come for one or both movies.
All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118997408162612

--------------------------------------

AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!

Date: December 18
Time: 6:30pm-1am EST
Location: U of T Grad Students' Union Gym (16 Bancroft Ave., Toronto ON)

Does the hyper-consumer craziness of the holiday season have you feeling down? Amidst the twinkle lights and the insidious calls to shop, shop and shop some more, are you spending your spare moments plotting the eventual demise of capitalism?

If so, you should join us for the Anti-Capitalist Holiday Bash! On Saturday, December 18th the Community Solidarity Network Fundraising Committee will be throwing the anti-capitalist event of the season to fundraise for our friends and allies facing G20 related charges.

Join us for a community dinner (vegan and vegetarian options will be served), followed by an evening of low key musical performances, workshops, games, prison letter writing, and a ‘really really free market’ exchange.

Tickets: $10-15 sliding scale, or PWYC (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.

If you have anything to donate for the free exchange, would be interested in helping with food preparation, or would like to help out in any other way please email us at events.g20solidarity@gmail.com .

Hope to see you there!

--------------------------------------

SASKATCHEWAN:

Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression

Date: November 29

Time: 7:30-10:30pm CST
Location: The Hookah Lounge (2115 Broad St.,Regina SK)

This past June, the world's attention was drawn to the streets of Toronto, where thousands of demonstrators protesting the G20 summit were met with violent repression and the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. While the media frenzy has now subsided, activists continue to be targeted by police, and scores of community organizers have been shackled with far-reaching bail conditions and the prospect of extensive jail time. The need for support and solidarity in the face of this ongoing repression continues, as does the responsibility to carry on the work of building movements of resistance to the G20 agenda.

Sharmeen Khan, a spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, will be speaking in Regina on the lessons learned from organizing in the lead-up to the G20 protests, as well as the criminalization of dissent surrounding the Summit. Khan will discuss the broad-based opposition to the G20 and the reasons why thousands of demonstrators came together in Toronto this past June, as well as the aftermath of police repression and ongoing legal battles.

Admission to this event is free, though we are asking participants to donate what they can to go toward the G20 Legal Defense Fund, which is seeking to raise $500,000 to go toward the legal expenses of those facing charges from the protests. For those who wish to donate, but cannot attend, please go to G20.torontomobilize.org for details on how to make a contribution.

~~~

Sharmeen Khan grew up and became politicized in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she contributed to Briarpatch Magazine and the Prairie Dog. She was active in the women's movement in Victoria and Vancouver before moving to Toronto to complete her MA in Communications. Sharmeen now works for the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University, and is also an editor with Upping the Anti: A Journal of Theory of Action.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176713215675033

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Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing and the Repression of Dissent

Date: December 3
Time: 7:30-9:30pm CST
Location: Grace Westminster United Church (505 10th St E., Saskatoon SK)

2010 SASKATOON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR KEYNOTE ADDRESS

In this talk, Toronto-based community organizer and independent media activist Sharmeen Khan will speak about her experiences and insights into the resistance to the G8/G20 summits which took place in Toronto in June of 2010.

The summits are now infamous for the massive scale of the security operation which cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $1 billion as well as the size and violence of the police crackdown on dissent. By the end of the weekend, nearly 1100 arrests had been made (the largest mass arrests in Canadian history) and stories began to emerge of widespread abuse of arrestees and the trampling of civil liberties.

In the talk, Sharmeen will cover a range of topics related to the G8/G20 protests including:

- the broad-based organizing efforts that took place in the lead-up to the summits (which built links between diverse communities and strove to empower people living in marginalized communities to speak with their own voices about the issues facing them in their day-to-day lives),

- the police repression targeting key community organizers and the sweeping arrests which saw thousands of police round up protesters, bystanders, journalists and legal observers alike,

- the ongoing legal support of the 100 or so people still facing charges,

- and the overall impact that the event and its aftermath have had on organizing efforts for grassroots social change.

Please join us to listen and discuss this timely and important issue in the struggle to build a more just and sustainable world.

~~~

Sharmeen Khan was a media spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, the main network organizing the resistance against the G20. She now works at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129482140443512

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Radical Cookbook Callout!

Deadline: January 1st 2011

Calling all radical cooks and activist bakers- we need your help!

The Community Solidarity Network's Fundraising committee is in the process of putting together a cookbook to sell as a fundraiser for the G20 legal defence fund, and are seeking recipe submissions.

From dinner dishes to desserts, and everything in between we want your recipes!

To submit a recipe, or if you have any questions email us at:
g20cookbook [at] gmail.com

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168121463200994
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:

Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!

Date: December 1

Time:12pm EST
Location:Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W., Toronto ON)

Mayor Ford: Respect People!

On December 1, Rob Ford becomes Mayor of Toronto. In his campaign speeches and his public statements, Ford has called for cuts to fair wages, a dismantling of the already inaccessible public transit system, supported Toronto's police brutality during the G20, and repeatedly expressed racist anti-immigrant sentiments and outright hatred for poor people.

While claiming to speak on behalf of the 'majority', Ford actually believes in a Toronto for the few. He believes in a Toronto divided into suburbs and the downtown. A Toronto divided into streetcar riders, bikers and drivers. A Toronto divided into immigrants, refugees and citizens. A Toronto where the homeless are driven out of sight as social housing is sold off to developers. A Toronto where police budgets grow and cops act with impunity. A Toronto that is open for business, but closed for the public.

This is not our Toronto. Our Toronto is about justice, dignity, and respect for immigrants, precarious workers, poor people and unions.

On December 1, at 12noon, a public, family friendly demonstration is being called outside City Hall as Rob Ford becomes Mayor to remind him what the people of this city need, expect and demand.

Please invite all your friends. Keep visiting http://ocap.ca/ and http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/ for updates.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136768189707239

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People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

Date: December 4
Time: 9:30am-5pm EST
Location: Sidney Smith Hall - rm 2118 (100 St George St., Toronto ON)

On June 23rd 2010, in advance of the G20, Toronto held its first People’s Assembly in community response to the climate crisis. Now on December 4th, 2010, activists, groups, community organizers and neighbourhood participants will gather for the second Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice.

Faced with the illegitimate and false solutions promoted through the UN climate talks, La Via Campesina has called for the creation of a thousand Cancuns to counter the next round of negotiations in Mexico from Nov. 29th to Dec. 11th. For Dec. 4th, the Global Climate Campaign has initiated an international day of action, and the national call-out by the Council of Canadians to hold countrywide assemblies on the same day has been answered by communities across Canada. The second Assembly, as a manifestation of these calls to resistance, will serve as the launching point for a series of regular Assemblies in an effort to build a united movement for Climate Justice in Toronto.

The challenge of the climate crisis can only be met with a coordinated response that will bring forth our power in numbers. It also requires that we confront the root causes of the crisis and not just the symptoms. Through a horizontal people’s process, the Assembly will seek to create a space where we can work together to share experience, knowledge, and resources in order to build a local response to a global crisis. The Assembly hopes to work towards this objective through channels of collective dialogue and community empowerment.

Our goal is to generate new possibilities and new hopes in order to bridge the gap from separately operating groups, communities, and individuals, to converge into one diverse, united movement. We must equip ourselves with the tools we need to fulfill our potential as an effective Social and Climate Justice community.

For More information:
The Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice
http://www.torontopeoplesassembly.wordpress.com/
peoplesassembly.toronto@gmail.com
647-869-6496

Sponsors: Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, OPIRG-Toronto, Toronto Climate Campaign, Toronto Bolivia Solidarity

Endorsers: Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Canadian Animal Liberation Movement, Community Solidarity Network, Community Solidarity Response Toronto, Earth Rangers, ecoSanity, Environmental Justice Toronto, Indigenous Environment Network, Kairos-Toronto, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Polaris Institute, Science For Peace, Toronto Vegetarian Association

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107327446002085

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Support all those still facing charges. Donate to the G20 Legal Defence Fund:

http://g20.torontomobilize.org/

CANADIAN LABOUR MOOSE JAW:

XL BEEF TO BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY:

After over half a year of locking out their employees XL Beef in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan has announced that they plan to close their plant permanently. Molly has blogged before on this lockout and the subsequent boycott of XL Beef products which the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (reluctantly and tardily) agreed to. The story of the closure is given below in a story from the Moose Jaw radio station CJME. Before getting into that, however, there is a lot of behind the scene details about this story that the reader should be aware of. Unions sources are suspicious that XL planned to close the plant all along. If they didn't it would seem like gross incompetence for them to dither about with temporary closures and lockouts as long as they did. If these plans were in the making for this long the actions of the company in carrying out the lockout were more than slightly deceitful and callous. Anyone who would like to say so to the parent company of XL Beef in Calgary can do so via the following contact info:

Nilsson Brothers Inc.

5101- 11th St. SE

Calgary, Alberta

T2H 1M7

phone 403-258-3233

fax 403-806-3849

Molly thinks that the union suspicions are quite accurate. To see why here are some forgotten facts about the plant. The plant originally opened as a joint private/public partnership in 1995 under the name of 'Western Canadian Beef'. At that time the Crown Investments of the Saskatchewan government owned 40% of the equity for God knows how much of the original investment. Management of the plant was turned over to the private partners whose "efficiency" ran it into the ground so that in 1998 the Crown had to take over the entire operation. The remaining 60% of the operation was purchased for $1.8 million with a government loan guarantee for $3 million for operating expenses.

Over the course of the next two years the provincial government also failed to turn a profit from the plant, and, despite the cyclical nature of the beef business, they were convinced they should unload the facility back to the private sector. In the year 2000 they sold the plant to XL Beef for a cost of $1.868 million plus, of course, a government financed loan at low interest rates of $2.368 million. Note this loan as it is important. The loan was to be paid off over 10 years.

Ten years arrived in 2010 !!! During that time the funds available from the loan were still active despite the fact that XL Beef had been in either shutdown or lockout for the better part of a year. The loan was "presumably" for operating expenses that never existed during the time of shutdown. While XL continued to pay back the government at a low interest rate they were able to apply the funds in more profitable ways all the while. When the loan was finally repaid XL had no reason to not go ahead and do what they intended all along ie close the plant. One has to wonder what uses the loan monies were put to over the years, uses remote from ensuring the profitability of the Moose Jaw plant. You gotta love the company accountants.

Let's examine the sale in 2000. The province bought the remained of the plant in 1998 for $1.8 million and sold it again in 2000 for $1.868 million. Seems about even ? Wrong ! Don't forget that the province already owned 40% of the plant in 1998. Selling both the 60% interest and the already owned 40% would have yielded a selling price of about $3 million to break even. Seems like a great deal for XL, and it was indeed.

Let's travel back to 2000 again. Labour activists in Canada are forever enraptured by the NDP and its supposed virtues. In 2000 the Saskatchewan government was NDP under Roy Romanow. In other words the beloved "left wing" NDP engineered a massive corporate giveaway that any conservative government would have drooled over. Here's the then Minister in charge of the sale John Nilson about the supposed benefits of selling the plant to XL:

"Our goals were to keep the company in business, to keep it in Moose Jaw and to prevent further financial loss for the Province"

It's 2010. The company is no longer in business in Moose Jaw. The province incurred a huge "paper loss" by selling the plant for far less than it was worth at the beginning. Given fluctuating interest rates the province may or may not have 'broken even' over the loan guarantees for the past decade. It depends on the fine details of the loan that are not open to public access.

What should have been done at the very beginning of this disaster ? Libertarian socialists as opposed to the statist socialists of the NDP would have seen the plant as a prime candidate for a "mixed cooperative". This would originally have been a tripartite partnership between the workers involved and their union, Saskatchewan beef producers and the provincial government. The monies needed would have come from exactly the same sources as XL drew upon (unless you believe the fairy tale that XL just so happened to have $1.8 million of 'spare cash' hanging around in their safe) ie loans. There should have been an agreement in place for the workers and the producers to gradually buy back the provincial equity. That sort of thing would have been the only way that it could be assured that the plant would remain to service Saskatchewan producers and consumers.

Is this alternative viable now ? Obviously not. There is a conservative provincial government in place in Regina. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour was seriously reluctant to launch a simple boycott and did little to promote it after its announcement. The city of Moose Jaw is cash strapped and could hardly step in to replace the province. The union representing the workers the UFCW is far too weak in the province to carry out such a thing on its own. Saskatchewan beef producers are cynical and rightfully so. As a side bar to this story I can remember many years ago when an anarchist comrade from Saskatchewan who was also a cattleman attempted to organize a cooperative marketing group for Saskatchewan beef. Who were the main opponents who killed the idea by vigorous campaigning ? Full points if you guessed the NDP government.

All that Molly can say is that a few conclusions can be drawn from debacles such as this. One is that governments, including so-called 'left' governments are by their very nature treacherous, and that one should never depend on them and always keep them under close scrutiny. Another is that a cooperative alternative should always be first and foremost in examining what can be done about economic questions. The whole idea never occurred to anyone's mind in 2000, but if it had the story would have been quite different today.

Enough of the lecture. Here's the story from Moose Jaw.

CLCLCLCLCL
XL Beef lays off 200, closes its doors permanently in Moose Jaw
Blames market conditions and lack of collective agreement with union

It's been a very unlucky Friday the 13th for employees of XL Beef in Moose Jaw -- almost 200 picketing workers have been permanently laid off.

A letter from XL Beef says the closure is for business and economic reasons, blaming market conditions and that they still don't have a new bargaining agreement with the union that represents employees at the plant.

"We've maintained all along that we're willing to negotiate, that the people go back to work and negotiate a fair and equitable contract," said Norm Neault, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1400.

"I don't think we've been the ones holding this up by stretch of the means. We haven't taken a strike vote and I guess the company, for the lack of a better word, gave up on that.

"They've got their interest in Alberta which is where their negotiating right now and I think that's on their horizon. I think Moose Jaw has been part of their plans for quite some time now."

Nilsson Bros, the parent company of XL Foods out of Alberta, have declined to comment.
The facility was initially shut down last spring due to market conditions. Employees were supposed to be back to work in the fall of 2009. Just days before they were to return, employees were locked out by XL Beef and a labour dispute began. Union members have been walking the picket line ever since.

The letter from XL Beef says the plant will be permanently closed within 90 days.

While the union tries to get all of the loose ends under control, Moose Jaw's mayor is voicing his disappointment in the decision -- saying this is terrible news for the city.

Mayor Glenn Hagel has been in touch with Nilsson Bros, the parent company of XL Foods in Alberta.

"They called to advise that they were making their decision," he said. "They assured me that there wasn't anything that the City of Moose Jaw did or didn't do that influenced their decision and indicated that their decision was final."

If there is anything that the employees can look forward to, it's the opening of the pork plant -- that facility opens in the new year.


With reporting by Chris Rasmussen, CHAB Moose Jaw.

CANADIAN LABOUR REGINA:

WORKERS AND MANAGEMENT STILL FAR APART AT CASINO REGINA:

Molly blogged about the strike at Casino Regina last June 25, and to date their has been no agreement between management of the province's cash cow the striking workers represented by the PSAC and the RWDSU. Here's an item from the Regina Leader Post about the "state" of contract negotiations and news of a rally at the Legislature to be held today. Note that no matter how "generous" management claims they are being their demand to reduce full time workers to part time is a great step backwards for the people involved.

SLSLSLSLSL
No deal yet for gaming workers
By Pamela Roth,

The Leader-Post July 6, 2010

Frustration is mounting for gaming employees with Casino Regina after a meeting last week with their employer, the Crown-owned Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., failed to strike a new deal.

Communication between Sask. Gaming and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents about 425 gaming employees at the casino, has been minimal since the strike began more than a month ago.

Both parties had high hopes an agreement could be reached when the corporation arranged the meeting last week, but Robin Benson, regional executive vice president of PSAC, said they now seem even further apart.

She said the corporation is willing to increase wages, but not without scaling back some positions to part-time.

"We had really hoped they were serious about us coming back to the table. We are nowhere close to an agreement," said Bensen.

"You can't take from one hand and give to the other. A wage increase, but no full-time hours, is just not possible. If you are never going to be more than a part-time worker, how is that a career?"

On June 3, more than 400 gaming employees walked off the floor and went on strike after failed attempts to reach a new contract with their employer.

Food and beverage employees also are on the picket line in support of PSAC's decision to strike, leaving the casino operating with limited services and shorter hours.

The union members, which include dealers, cashiers, security guards and slot attendants, have been without a contract since May 2009. Wage increases, family leave and night-shift premiums are the outstanding issues.

Members of PSAC, along with the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, will be hosting a rally outside the Legislative Building on Thursday, and have also been in contact with local MLAs to step in.

Blaine Pilatzke, vice-president of human resources for Sask. Gaming, said he was hoping the meeting would spark further discussions, but was disappointed when nothing further materialized.

He said Sask. Gaming presented a fair offer that included 5.5 per cent in total increased compensation over a three-year period and a realignment of existing provisions within the collective agreement to address some of the union's priorities.

The offer also included improvements to health care benefits.

"We presented a couple of options to try to address some of their priorities, but those were rejected," said Pilatzke.

"It's been more than 30 days and the corporation recognizes it's difficult on the picketers, but it's also difficult on our out-of-scope staff who have been asked to perform additional functions as well. I would hope that at some point in the near future we can get back and have some further discussions."

Sask. Gaming owns and operates Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw, which are regulated by the provincial government.

The gaming corporation was the Regina-area winner of the 2010 Top Employers for Young People competition conducted by Mediacorp Canada (the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers).


Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/business/deal+gaming+workers/3240123/story.html#ixzz0t4EUtcu3

CANADIAN LABOUR - SASKATCHEWAN:
BETTING ON THE UNION:




Employees at Casino Regina in Regina Saskatchewan have been without a contract since May 2009, and early this month they decided that enough was enough. The first to walk out were members of the PSAC on June 3, and they were followed by others from the RWDSU on June 4. The casino, of course, is a great cash cow for the provincial government, but despite this they have been unwilling to part with a little of it for the employees.



There is a strike support Facebook Page and also a Strike Blog. Look there for more info. All that Molly can say of the government is that it is a more than one armed bandit. It takes the taxes with one hand, the gambling revenues with another, and puts its third hand behind its back when its employees ask for decent wages and working conditions. Sounds like a game you can't win.



Here's an item from the Regina Leader Post about how some of the regulars at the Casino sympathize with the strikers.
RCRCRCRCRCRCRC



Casino Regina regulars on side of striking workers
By PAMELA ROTH, Leader-Post

REGINA — It's getting harder each week for some regular patrons of Casino Regina to cross the picket line in front of the building.

Ever since more than 400 gaming employees went on strike almost three weeks ago after failed attempts to reach a new contract with their employer, the Crown-owned Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., Maryanne Burst would like nothing more than to see both sides get back to the bargaining table.

She doesn't mind having to serve herself a beverage while she's playing the slot machines, but said other casino patrons have been complaining about the lack of employees.

Aside from that, Burst said it's been business as usual for her at the casino slot machines, and she doesn't blame the gaming employees for demanding a raise.

"I think they have to fight for their rights like everybody else," said Burst. "This just allows the high-rollers to save their money."

The casino was active with patrons on Tuesday afternoon, even though all gaming tables are temporarily closed due to the strike, and food and beverage services are limited.

Food and beverage employees are also on the picket line after the decision to strike by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) — the union that represents Casino Regina gaming employees.

The union members, which include dealers, cashiers, security guards and slot attendants, have been without a contract since May 2009.

Wage increases, family leave and night-shift premiums are the outstanding issues.

Edie, who did not want to use her last name, visits the casino to gamble once a week and hasn't been disrupted by the strike.

So far, she's pleased with how the casino has handled the scale-back in a number of services, but admits it's getting harder to drive through the picket line.

"We go in there with an understanding we are not going to get the same services," said Edie. "I feel badly for them (the employees). We hear how much profit the casino makes. They can afford to pay a bit more,"

Since the strike began, PSAC and Sask. Gaming have had limited contact with one another.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Sask. Gaming Corp said the corporation is eager to get back to the bargaining table, but so far no meetings have been arranged.

Fran Mohr, spokesperson for PSAC, said spirits on the picket line are still high.

"We'd had a lot of donations of food and stuff like that," she said. "Even in the rain, everybody is still happy to be here."

Sask. Gaming owns and operates Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw, which are regulated by the provincial government.

proth@leaderpost.canwest.com


Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Casino+Regina+regulars+side+striking+workers/3187723/story.html#ixzz0ruxj8muh

CANADIAN LABOUR- SASKATCHEWAN:

RALLY AGAINST BILL 80:

Bill 80 is a proposed bill now before the Saskatchewan Legislature that would gut the right to collective bargaining for construction workers in that province. The governing 'Saskatchewan Party' (read Conservatives in drag ) have introduced legislation that would basically allow employers to chose which union would represent "their" workers. Tomorrow there will be a rally at the Regina legislative building to oppose this attack on Saskatchewan construction workers. Here's the story from the CEP Union Blog.

SLSLSLSLSLSLSL
Rally Against Bill 80

There will be a rally against Bill 80 on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at noon at the Saskatchewan Legislative building 2405 Legislative Drive Regina.

If you can not make the rally you can show your support in a number of other ways.

Join the face book group.

" kill bill 80 "


A petition out side of face book

Stop Bill 80's Amendments to the — Construction Industry Labour Relations Act

Find out more information at the Say No to Bill 80 Website

If you're a CEP member ask why would CEP support such a bill?

CANADIAN POLITICS/CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

WALL GOVERNMENT ATTRACTS UNWANTED ATTENTION:

I guess it's an example of overweening ambition. The Saskatchewan Party (read right wing conservative) government of Premier Brad Wall of Saskatchewan is in an unseemly rush to demolish any and all legislation that might benefit workers or ordinary people. Wall should really take lessons from that master of slyness, our beloved Prime Minister, about how to go about these things piecemeal. patience is, after all, a virtue. This rush to take away rights has attracted the unwanted attention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) who have made it plain to the Premier that his plans violate international law. Here's the story from Larry Hubich's Blog. Hubich is the President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).

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ILO blasts anti-labour laws adopted by Saskatchewan

UN body instructs government of Premier Brad Wall to consult with labour and work out an acceptable solution to essential services legislation, union organizing votes and a labour relations board all parties can trust.
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) has issued a stinging rebuke to the government of Saskatchewan, primarily over two pieces of anti-labour legislation adopted in 2008 (Bills 5 and 6).
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The United Nations body has directed the province to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the laws in full consultation and cooperation with workers and labour groups affected.
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In an unusually-pointed decision, the ILO – which is based in Geneva – has also instructed the Brad Wall government to keep ILO officials informed of corrective steps as they are taken to bring the province into compliance with international labour standards that Canada as a UN member country is bound to uphold.

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“The ILO has told the Wall government that these laws clearly violate international law and the principles of freedom of association. The government has an obligation and a duty to consult meaningfully with those who are affected by the laws it intends to enact,” said SFL President Larry Hubich.
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“SGEU is particularly pleased with the decision of the ILO and its impact on our collective bargaining. The outrageous and illegal use of designations to take away our members’ right to strike and force upon us collective agreements which do not reflect free and fair bargaining will be addressed through all means at our disposal including the courts if necessary,” said Bob Bymoen, president of SGEU.

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“This government must repeal its regulations and honour our previous agreement. International law is not just about business. It’s also about human rights and it’s time the Wall government started to respect those rights,” added Bymoen.
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“The ILO has also stated that the Labour Relations Board, which enforces both Acts, needs to enjoy the confidence of labour, and since the 2008 firings of the chair and vice-chair, those conditions do not exist. That’s another mess the ILO is calling upon the Wall government to fix,” added Hubich.

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“Brad Wall’s government appears eager to go out of their way to ensure the province complies with international trade agreements. It’s time they respected and lived up to our international obligations to ensure labour rights and human rights are consistent with those of other modern democracies,” said Hubich and Bymoen.
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The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association is referring the decision to the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. The Committee of experts is expected to meet in June and to issue a report on the government’s compliance in November.
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Download PDF version of news release here....
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Download complete ILO decision here....

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

SPENDING MONEY FOOLISHLY:

Here's a great switcheroo. Unions representing City of Regina workers are criticizing the City of Regina for needlessly wasting money on a consultant to develop a new symbol. The cost - $320,000 for a little bit of internet design work that would cost about 50 or 60 dollars outside of "Consultantland". Never let it be said that the right wing is right when they try and blame the unions for the waste of public monies. Government is well able to do it on its own, thank you very much. especially when it involves doling out money to corporate friends. The consulting industry is, of course, one of the greatest scams ever developed, and they are always on the lookout for a willing victim. I mean it-5o to 60 dollars. Any kid in the basement could have done as much in 20 minutes. In this case the unions stand as the guardian of the public purse.Here's the story from the Regina Leader Post.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Local unions concerned about Regina's 'Infinite Horizons' strategy:
By Joe Couture, Leader-Post February 19, 2010

REGINA — The heads of three union locals that represent City of Regina workers noted their concerns Friday about the city’s recently introduced “Infinite Horizons” branding strategy.

“I struggle with the need to brand ourselves or create an image, especially with something as obscure as a stylized ‘R’,” said Marvin Meickel, president of CUPE Local 7, which represents inside city workers.

He noted the old logo, which had a rendering of the city skyline, and the logo that came before it, which included a crown, were sufficient to represent the city.

Both Tim Anderson, president of CUPE Local 21, which represents outside city workers, and Mike Ehmann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 588, which represents transit drivers, said Friday they, too, thought the previous logo was fine.

Meickel said he gives credit to Mayor Pat Fiacco for his efforts to make the city’s image more positive, noting that is important. But he said he doesn’t understand why city needs to keep spending money on its image when the existing image seems to be well-received.

“We seem to be riding a fairly high tide of city growth and province growth,” Meickel continued. “Were we really lacking as far as that particular brand or logo? I would say, ‘No’. Could the money have been spent in other areas? I would say, ‘Absolutely’.

“There’s all sorts of challenges that the city continues to face that would involve a financial commitment, but they’ve decided to take this particular direction.”

The cost is at the centre of the concerns of the other two union leaders, too.

Anderson said he expects the final price tag for the branding initiative will be significantly more than the $320,000 paid to the advertising firm that developed it.

“We have a number of issues facing the city,” he said. “With the provincial government reneging on their promise to share revenue, we’re looking at a mill rate increase, I would assume. I think the timing of the logo could have been postponed until we can afford it. At another time, it wouldn’t have been that bad.”

Anderson said he thinks spending on the brand now shows a lack of fiscal responsibility.

“I think it comes down to wants and needs,” he said.

Ehmann said, “The money could have been spent better elsewhere,” noting the transit department’s recent well-publicized fleet challenges. “They could have bought a bus.”

Meickel questioned whether a public-sector corporation such as the city even needs to have a style of brand like a private-sector company. The new branding appears to be of such a style, he added.

“I think some people, including myself, just don’t quite understand it,” he said. “Maybe time will give me an opportunity to be more comfortable with it.”
jcouture@leaderpost.canwest.com

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:

AN XL BEEF BOYCOTT -FINALLY:

Last November 24 Molly reported (one of three reports on the subject here at Molly's Blog) on the call on the part of locked out workers at XL Foods in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan for a boycott of XL products. At the time I had some rather harsh words for the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) and their hesitation in calling for such a boycott. That hesitation, I am happy to say, is over, and the SFL has called for a boycott in support of the workers who have been locked out since the beginning of last September. Better late than never I guess. Here's the story from The Canadian Cattlemen.

MJMJMJMJMJMJMJ

Sask. unions call for XL boycott over lockout:
With no new talks in sight to end a lockout at XL Foods' beef processing plant at Moose Jaw, Sask., the province's labour leaders have called for a boycott of the Alberta parent company's beef.

As of Wednesday, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada) Local 1400, which represents 200 employees at the Moose Jaw plant, reported no bargaining dates have been set and XL Foods has yet to respond since the workers voted in October to reject its last offer.

The workers, who have been without a contract since the end of January, came back in September from a five-month shutdown to be greeted by a company-imposed lockout, then rejected an XL Foods contract offer later that month.

"XL Foods locked out those workers to put pressure on them to accept concessions at the bargaining table," the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour said in a statement.

The Regina-based SFL, the overarching body for unionized labour in the province, urged in its statement that consumers "ask where (the) meat comes from" at grocery stores and meat markets, and not to buy if the answer is XL Foods.

"If you are at a restaurant, ask where the beef is coming from; if the answer is XL Foods, consider some other product," the SFL said.

It also recommended that consumers ask those questions every time they buy beef, as businesses may switch suppliers often for better pricing.

UFCW president Norm Neault said recently members have been distributing leaflets with the same general message.

Neault said he had yet to hear from XL but recently had heard from a provincial conciliator.

Unionized employees walking the line at the Moose Jaw facility recently got a boost in picket pay, he said, as affiliated unions in the U.S. raised money to support the locked-out staff.

That news was offset by a recent ruling from the federal Employment Insurance program, which according to Neault said the locked-out workers are not entitled to EI benefits relating to their layoffs beyond XL's originally scheduled recall date of Sept. 28, 2009. The company by that time had announced the lockout.

The UFCW noted that its Local 401 is also currently in talks with XL at the company's Calgary beef plant. UFCW-represented staff at that plant have been working under the terms of their last contract, which expired at the end of March 2009.

Bargaining sessions between the union and XL in Calgary are scheduled for Feb. 23 and 25, UFCW staff in Regina said.

Bargaining is also expected to begin in early 2010 for unionized staff at XL's plant at Brooks, Alta.

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

GOVERNMENT OFFER TO SASKATCHEWAN HEALTH CARE WORKERS INSULTING:

Out in Molly's old stomping ground, the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the new ultra-conservative Saskatchewan Party (a temporary parking space for right wingers to avoid the aura of corruption of the old Conservatives-until they get caught enough themselves of course) continues its campaign of attacking ordinary people to increase the income and power of the rich. The latest targets are government employees in the health care sector. Here, from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is the latest news on the so-called "offer" of the government in negotiations that have been ongoing for over a year and a half. Molly has reported on these contract negotiations before last December.

SLSLSLSLSLSLSLSL

Health workers incensed by employers’ actions:
The Saskatchewan government and health employers “final offered” 25,000 health care providers and cancelled conciliation. Their actions have angered CUPE, which represents 12,600 health providers in five health regions.

Related: Hear radio host Roger Currie talk about the government's failure to bargain

“We are bitterly disappointed that the employers’ first move in conciliation is to present a final offer and cancel conciliation,” says CUPE Health Care Council President Gordon Campbell. “They’ve made a mockery of the conciliation process.”

The employers’ arrogance is tied to the government’s new essential services legislation, he adds. Under the legislation, three out of four health care providers are deemed essential and unable to strike.

The three health care providers unions – CUPE, SGEU and SEIU – have been negotiating for 17 months. Their contracts expired nearly two years ago.

“This so-called final offer is disgraceful,” says Mike Keith, CUPE’s chief negotiator, adding it contains all of the major concessions CUPE members rejected last June, when they voted 88% in support of job action. “These concessions are a license for health employers to understaff and overwork our members and mismanage our health care system.”

Keith says the union has “lost all confidence” that health employers have the mandate to negotiate a fair agreement.

“We are calling on the government to get serious about contract negotiations and stop trying to provoke a strike,” says Keith.

“We want to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a reasonable contract settlement. And we want the government to put a bargaining team in place to make make that happen,” he says.

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

HEALTH CARE WORKERS VERSUS THE SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT:

Out Saskatchewan way a real test of wills is shaping up between the right wing Saskatchewan Party provincial government and over 11,000 workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Having voted over 88% in favour of strike action in late November the health care workers have continued to negotiate with the government, but many are becoming frustrated enough to begin walkouts at any time. They do this despite legislation that defines pretty well all of what they do as an "essential service" which means that they legally barred from striking. What follows is an article from the Regina Leader Post. To follow developments check in with the SEIU's western Canadian website.

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Health-care workers willing to defy legislation, SEIU says:
By Janet French
Some unionized health-care workers are willing to walk off the job, defying essential services legislation and potentially incurring hefty fines, if they can't reach a deal with health regions, the president of Service Employees International Union-West says.

"People are prepared to take that next step," union president Barbara Cape said late last week.

Last Friday, the union, which represents more than 11,000 health-care workers such as licensed practical nurses, special care aides, laundry, maintenance and food service workers and more, announced it is taking four regional health authorities to court over their latest essential services plans.

Cape says lawyers have filed a notice of motion for a judicial review of essential services plans given to the union by Saskatoon, Cypress, Five Hills and Heartland health regions, and have also asked for a judicial review of the Public Service Essential Services Act itself.

The union is challenging the constitutionality of the act, and the plans.

Three health-care unions representing 25,000 workers -- SEIU-West, Saskatchewan General and Government Employees Union, and Canadian Union of Public Employees -- bargain together, and have been without a contract since March 2008.

The parties had been at the bargaining table, but those talks broke off in early December.

In a late-November strike vote, SEIU members voted 88 per cent in favour of job action.

When health regions delivered the union their essential services plans that day, Cape says the employers had declared at least 90 per cent of the workers "essential," which she says was more onerous than plans the health regions had handed over earlier this year.

"It takes away our right to strike, if not, severely limits our right to strike in support of collective bargaining," Cape said.

Susan Antosh, president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations, which bargains on behalf of the health regions and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, says the regions did meet with the unions to try and agree on an essential services plan in advance, but the parties were not able to reach agreements.

They had also discussed, but failed to reach an agreement on providing replacement workers in the event of a strike.

Essential services legislation says as soon as there is a threat of job action, employers must present an essential services plan to the union, and notify workers, if no such agreement has been struck in advance.

Antosh said a strike vote means the unions could give 48-hour strike notice at any time.

Because hand-delivering letters to thousands of employees takes more than two days, Antosh said health regions opted to hand out their plans earlier.

Antosh also said the essential services plans handed over in February, then after each union's strike vote, were the same, if not less demanding than initial plans. Each plan declared about 75 per cent of the full-time workload to be essential, Antosh said. She admits that may work out to affect more than 90 per cent of the employees, but didn't have exact numbers.

During talks with members across the province before the strike vote, Cape said several workers claim they are willing to defy legislation and walk off the job to get a fair deal. Cape said the union is attempting to discourage workers from doing that.

Defying the essential services legislation could result in "significant" fines against the worker and the union -- $2,000 on the first day for a worker, and $400 on every subsequent day, Cape said.

"I don't know any health-care workers, let alone any person in the province, who can afford that kind of fine," she said.

Antosh also discourages any workers from breaking the law, but adds those are personal choices health regions cannot control.

When asked what assurances Antosh could provide that health-care services will be there for Saskatchewan people in the event of a strike, Antosh said the employers have done everything they can under current legislation.

"The employer is extremely interested in ensuring the services are provided, and people of Saskatchewan actually have access to the services that they need," she said. "That is not a decision or something that I have the ability to control."

During talks, the unions asked for wage increases of five per cent in 2008, five per cent in 2009 and five per cent in 2010.

SAHO countered with a proposal of a 9.4 per cent pay increase over four years, with additional incentives for hard-to-recruit professionals.

Cape calls the essential services plans a "stall tactic," that's preventing the parties from reaching an agreement, instead of a tool to ensure public safety during a strike.

Antosh maintains essential services agreements and collective bargaining are two independent processes, and that one shouldn't affect the other. (She probably said this with a straight face too-Molly )

However, there is hope bargaining will resume soon between the unions and SAHO. Both parties have agreed to work with government conciliator Doug Forsyth, and Antosh is hopeful more bargaining dates will be scheduled for January.

The essential services legislation was enacted in Saskatchewan in May 2008, and raised the ire of several labour groups and official Opposition both before and after it became law.

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:

UFCW SOLIDARITY WITH LOCKED OUT WORKERS IN MOOSE JAW:

Looks like it's "celebrating the donations" time here at Molly's Blog. Following the previous article here's another good news story as the UFCW from across the continent have raised $86,000 as a donation for workers locked out by XL Beef in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Yeah, I know it's not the centre of the universe, just as here in Manitoba the plight of workers locked out by Tembec in Pine Falls hardly blips onto the world screen. Multiply these isolated incidents in out of the way places to what they actually are, however, and you see a vicious pattern of managerial assault on ordinary workers.

The following is a "good news story", just as the previous 'Operation Christmas Cheer' reported here at Molly's Blog is such a thing. I suppose, however, that I have to get my "grouch" in. It has been some time since the UFCW asked the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour to support a boycott of XL Beef. The SFL spokesman came out with a disparaging statement about the idea, and since that time little has been heard about it. Can anyone say "death by neglect" ? It seems as if the UFCW Union is unwilling to publicly challenge the SFL about their lack of action. Too bad. This is one of the many instances that point to the need for independent voices, not just in Canada's unions but amongst "the left" in general, voices that are not mouthpieces for this or that organization. Too much get swept under the carpet. The SFL should be challenged to say whether it is or is not willing to support such a boycott and to give its reasons if not. My own opinion, for what it is worth is that, given the fact that XL Beef is marketed internationally, that the UFCW should go ahead with a boycott whether they have the support of the SFL or not.

OK, enough preaching. Here's the story from the Moose Jaw Times.

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UFCW stands behind local XL Beef employees:
$86,000 US.
That’s how much United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) from across North America gave local XL Beef employees currently on lock out on Friday.

“It may seem at times this is a fight you’re taking on by yourself, but you’re not by yourself,” UFCW vice president and food processing and packing director Mark Lauritsen told about 60 local workers, who were picketing across the road from XL Beef plant.

Lauritsen said the fight was important not just in Moose Jaw, but to anyone who works in the beef-packing industry in Canada and the U.S.

Lauritsen then presented UFCW Local 1400 president Norm Neault with an envelope containing $86,000, which the union collected from its members in from both countries following a recent sector meeting.