Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Tweet[IWS] CANADA: Weekly Work Report, 12 December 2005
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto)
Weekly Work Report for the Week of December 12, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
Season's greetings to all WWR readers!
Please note that the CIRHR closes on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 4pm and re-opens on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 10am. The last 2005 issue of WWR will be published on December 20. We resume publication on January 10, 2006.
----------
ONTARIO ENDS MANDATORY RETIREMENT: Bill 211, the Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act, was approved by Ontario's legislative assembly on December 8 and was given Royal Assent on December 12. The legislation amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit mandatory retirement at any age, except when it can be justified as a "bone fide occupational requirement." The legislation will take effect December 12, 2006, giving employers one year to "reconfigure" employment policies and programs. After that date, collective agreements will not be permitted to include provisions requiring mandatory retirement, and any existing collective agreements will no longer be enforceable. Age-based provisions in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 will be exempt from the changes; the WSIA provides that an employer's obligation to re-employ an injured worker ends at age 65, and loss of earnings benefits cease at age 65.
LINKS:
Ontario Ministry of Labour Backgrounder (2 pages, HTML) at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/05-141b.html> and FAQ's on Mandatory Retirement ( 9 pages, HTML) at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/05-141faq.html>
Bill 211, Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act (Links to the text of the Bill, Hansard debates, committee documents etc.) compiled at the Legislative Library website at < http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/bills/382/211382.htm>
----------
TEACHERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS DEMONSTRATE IN MONTREAL: An estimated 80,000 public sector workers were on strike on December 13, part of a 3-day rotating strike campaign across Quebec. This is the latest in a series of rotating strikes that have occurred in the fall of 2005; negotiations between the government and approximately 500,000 public sector workers have been underway for almost 2.5 years. A "massive" demonstration in Montreal on December 13 is a final show of union strength before the government's December 15th deadline for reaching an agreement. Teachers are demanding improvements in services to special needs students and a salary increase of 12% over 6 years. The government offer is 8% over 6 years and 9 months. For health and social service workers, issues of privatization, job security and workload are paramount.
LINKS:
80,000 public sector workers hold 1- day strike in Montreal at the CBC website at < http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/12/13/Quebec-protests-051213.html >
CSN Public Sector website at < http://www.secteurpublic.info/cmsFrameMain.aspx?Lang=FR&ParentID=CCSPP > (click on "English" at the bottom of the left hand menu bar for a subset of documents translated into English).
FSSS website at < http://www.fsss.qc.ca/nego/francais/index.php?page=documents&lang=en > (English documents), including Why we're taking action in health and social services (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.fsss.qc.ca/images/nego/documents/tractstrikeangl.pdf >
----------
IMPARTIALITY OF ALBERTA LABOUR RELATIONS BOARD QUESTIONED: The Alberta Federation of Labour has demanded a public inquiry to determine whether the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Alberta Labour Relations Board were actively involved in drafting of Bill 27, the Labour Relations (Regional Health Authorities Restructuring) Amendment Act in 2003. The legislation reduced the number of health bargaining units from 400 to 36 and removed the right to strike.
If the Board's involvement exceeded technical assistance and expertise, the Federation maintains that the impartiality of the Board has been compromised. The AFL bases its charges on the contents of internal Board emails which were mistakenly sent to the AFL by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. By the time the mistake was discovered, the Federation had circulated the e-mails to 350 union local presidents, and they are now posted on the AFL website. On December 6, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dismissed an application by the Information and Privacy Commissioner to grant an injunction making the emails privileged and confidential documents, and to force the AFL to return them.
LINKS:
AFL Reveals breach of role at the ALRB at the AFL website at < http://www.afl.org/pressroom/lrb.cfm> . The site includes links to the Backgrounder, which summarizes the dispute (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.afl.org/upload/backgrounder lrb.pdf> , the documents that form the basis of the AFL complaint, and the correspondence between the LRB Chair and the AFL.
"Labour wins Round 1 in leak" in the Edmonton Journal (Dec. 7) at < http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=416ae43c-a0bd-4c1c-8a7a-064db5e78592&k=68880 >
Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. Alberta Federation of
Labour, 2005 ABQB 927 decision (10 pages, PDF) at < http://www.albertacourts.ab.ca/jdb/2003-/qb/civil/2005/2005abqb0927.pdf >
----------
JUST LABOUR PUBLISHES NEW ISSUE HIGHLIGHTING GLOBALIZATION AND UNION RENEWAL: The latest issue of online journal Just Labour is now available from the Centre for Research on Work and Society. A special section of the publication highlights the research from the International Colloquium on Union Renewal held in November 2004 by the Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT) at the Universite de Montreal.
LINKS:
Just Labour Table of Contents at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/index.php?page=toc&volume=67 >
"Union renewal amid the global restructuring of work relationships" (14 pages, PDF) in Just Labour (Vol. 6 & 6, Autumn 2005) at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume67/pdfs/04 CRIMT Intro EN.pdf>
"Organizing Wal-Mart: analyzing the Canadian campaign" (11 pages, PDF) in Just Labour (Vol. 6 & 7 Autumn 2005) at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume67/pdfs/01 Adams Press.pdf>
Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work Website at < http://www.crimt.org/English/index.html>
----------
TELEWORK GROWING AMONG U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a report on December 8 documenting the growth of telework in the U.S. federal service. It shows a 37% increase in the number of teleworkers, from 102,921 in 2003 to 140,694 in 2004. Approximately 41% of Federal employees were eligible to telework during 2004. The report also summarizes telework policies (mostly concerning eligibility, qualifying, health issues, and work schedules), discusses barriers, and summarizes the initiatives taken by the OPM and the General Services Administration to promote teleworking in federal departments and agencies.
LINKS:
The Status of Telework in the Federal Government 2005 (19 pages, HTML) at the OPM website at < http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_rpt05/status-intro.asp#data>
----------
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE: Watson Wyatt's Staying@Work study for 2005 focuses on practices to promote a healthy workplace. Entitled Making the Connection to a Healthy Organization, the study suggests that health and productivity issues are becoming an increasing preoccupation with organizations, particularly the issue of mental health.
The Conference Board of Canada recently published What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers. The document is intended to aid managers in identifying employees with mental health problems, getting them help and facilitating their return to work.
LINKS:
Summary of Staying@Work at the Watson Wyatt website at < http://www.watsonwyatt.com/canada-english/research/resrender.asp?id=W-860&page=1 > (Full report available online for $40.00 Cdn).
A summary of What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers at the Board's website at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/Boardwiseii/LayoutAbstract.asp?DID=1433 >
What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers (15 pages, PDF) at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/boardwiseii/temp/BoardWise2CPKLKIGAEBHGNANDELNMPABM20051213142458/087-06 MentalHealthBooklet.pdf>
----------
FEW CANADIAN EMPLOYERS PROVIDE HOLIDAY BONUSES, MANY STILL HOST COMPANY PARTIES:
Following a survey of nearly 100 companies across Canada, consulting firm Hewitt Associates reported on December 6 that only one-third of Canadian organizations will offer holiday bonuses in 2005. Of those organizations, 53% will offer gift certificates and 38% will offer cash. The median cost of cash bonuses is $250, compared to $40 for gift certificate/gift card expenditures. 82 % of Canadian companies plan to host a holiday party during the holiday season.
LINK:
Summary of Holiday gifts and bonuses survey (3 pages, PDF) at the Hewitt Canada website at < http://was4.hewitt.com/hewitt/resource/newsroom/pressrel/2005/12-06-05eng.pdf > (Full survey available from Hewitt's upon request).
----------
Book of the Week: Paths to Union Renewal: Canadian Experiences
edited by Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk. Peterborough, ON. Broadview Press, 2006. 336p. ISBN: 1-55193-058-7
This book documents the renewal initiatives undertaken by unions in Canada. Unions, separately or in coalition with other unions or social groups, have begun to re-examine the basis of their organization and activity in the face of a harsher economic and political climate. Decades-long union decline in the United States has resulted in new ideas being adopted by unions in that country and this in turn has led to debates on renewal strategies in Western Europe and Australia.
Despite this, there is little research on union renewal in Canada. Paths to Union Renewal fills this gap by critically examining union renewal in a variety of unions, providing a basis for informed discussion and debate on the role and place of trade unions in Canada.
About the Editors:
Pradeep Kumar is Professor Emeritus and director of MIR program in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University, Kingston.
Christopher Schenk is Research Director of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto)
Weekly Work Report for the Week of December 12, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
Season's greetings to all WWR readers!
Please note that the CIRHR closes on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 4pm and re-opens on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 10am. The last 2005 issue of WWR will be published on December 20. We resume publication on January 10, 2006.
----------
ONTARIO ENDS MANDATORY RETIREMENT: Bill 211, the Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act, was approved by Ontario's legislative assembly on December 8 and was given Royal Assent on December 12. The legislation amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit mandatory retirement at any age, except when it can be justified as a "bone fide occupational requirement." The legislation will take effect December 12, 2006, giving employers one year to "reconfigure" employment policies and programs. After that date, collective agreements will not be permitted to include provisions requiring mandatory retirement, and any existing collective agreements will no longer be enforceable. Age-based provisions in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 will be exempt from the changes; the WSIA provides that an employer's obligation to re-employ an injured worker ends at age 65, and loss of earnings benefits cease at age 65.
LINKS:
Ontario Ministry of Labour Backgrounder (2 pages, HTML) at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/05-141b.html> and FAQ's on Mandatory Retirement ( 9 pages, HTML) at < http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/05-141faq.html>
Bill 211, Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act (Links to the text of the Bill, Hansard debates, committee documents etc.) compiled at the Legislative Library website at < http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/bills/382/211382.htm>
----------
TEACHERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS DEMONSTRATE IN MONTREAL: An estimated 80,000 public sector workers were on strike on December 13, part of a 3-day rotating strike campaign across Quebec. This is the latest in a series of rotating strikes that have occurred in the fall of 2005; negotiations between the government and approximately 500,000 public sector workers have been underway for almost 2.5 years. A "massive" demonstration in Montreal on December 13 is a final show of union strength before the government's December 15th deadline for reaching an agreement. Teachers are demanding improvements in services to special needs students and a salary increase of 12% over 6 years. The government offer is 8% over 6 years and 9 months. For health and social service workers, issues of privatization, job security and workload are paramount.
LINKS:
80,000 public sector workers hold 1- day strike in Montreal at the CBC website at < http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/12/13/Quebec-protests-051213.html >
CSN Public Sector website at < http://www.secteurpublic.info/cmsFrameMain.aspx?Lang=FR&ParentID=CCSPP > (click on "English" at the bottom of the left hand menu bar for a subset of documents translated into English).
FSSS website at < http://www.fsss.qc.ca/nego/francais/index.php?page=documents&lang=en > (English documents), including Why we're taking action in health and social services (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.fsss.qc.ca/images/nego/documents/tractstrikeangl.pdf >
----------
IMPARTIALITY OF ALBERTA LABOUR RELATIONS BOARD QUESTIONED: The Alberta Federation of Labour has demanded a public inquiry to determine whether the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Alberta Labour Relations Board were actively involved in drafting of Bill 27, the Labour Relations (Regional Health Authorities Restructuring) Amendment Act in 2003. The legislation reduced the number of health bargaining units from 400 to 36 and removed the right to strike.
If the Board's involvement exceeded technical assistance and expertise, the Federation maintains that the impartiality of the Board has been compromised. The AFL bases its charges on the contents of internal Board emails which were mistakenly sent to the AFL by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. By the time the mistake was discovered, the Federation had circulated the e-mails to 350 union local presidents, and they are now posted on the AFL website. On December 6, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dismissed an application by the Information and Privacy Commissioner to grant an injunction making the emails privileged and confidential documents, and to force the AFL to return them.
LINKS:
AFL Reveals breach of role at the ALRB at the AFL website at < http://www.afl.org/pressroom/lrb.cfm> . The site includes links to the Backgrounder, which summarizes the dispute (2 pages, PDF) at < http://www.afl.org/upload/backgrounder lrb.pdf> , the documents that form the basis of the AFL complaint, and the correspondence between the LRB Chair and the AFL.
"Labour wins Round 1 in leak" in the Edmonton Journal (Dec. 7) at < http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=416ae43c-a0bd-4c1c-8a7a-064db5e78592&k=68880 >
Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. Alberta Federation of
Labour, 2005 ABQB 927 decision (10 pages, PDF) at < http://www.albertacourts.ab.ca/jdb/2003-/qb/civil/2005/2005abqb0927.pdf >
----------
JUST LABOUR PUBLISHES NEW ISSUE HIGHLIGHTING GLOBALIZATION AND UNION RENEWAL: The latest issue of online journal Just Labour is now available from the Centre for Research on Work and Society. A special section of the publication highlights the research from the International Colloquium on Union Renewal held in November 2004 by the Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT) at the Universite de Montreal.
LINKS:
Just Labour Table of Contents at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/index.php?page=toc&volume=67 >
"Union renewal amid the global restructuring of work relationships" (14 pages, PDF) in Just Labour (Vol. 6 & 6, Autumn 2005) at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume67/pdfs/04 CRIMT Intro EN.pdf>
"Organizing Wal-Mart: analyzing the Canadian campaign" (11 pages, PDF) in Just Labour (Vol. 6 & 7 Autumn 2005) at < http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume67/pdfs/01 Adams Press.pdf>
Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work Website at < http://www.crimt.org/English/index.html>
----------
TELEWORK GROWING AMONG U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a report on December 8 documenting the growth of telework in the U.S. federal service. It shows a 37% increase in the number of teleworkers, from 102,921 in 2003 to 140,694 in 2004. Approximately 41% of Federal employees were eligible to telework during 2004. The report also summarizes telework policies (mostly concerning eligibility, qualifying, health issues, and work schedules), discusses barriers, and summarizes the initiatives taken by the OPM and the General Services Administration to promote teleworking in federal departments and agencies.
LINKS:
The Status of Telework in the Federal Government 2005 (19 pages, HTML) at the OPM website at < http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_rpt05/status-intro.asp#data>
----------
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE: Watson Wyatt's Staying@Work study for 2005 focuses on practices to promote a healthy workplace. Entitled Making the Connection to a Healthy Organization, the study suggests that health and productivity issues are becoming an increasing preoccupation with organizations, particularly the issue of mental health.
The Conference Board of Canada recently published What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers. The document is intended to aid managers in identifying employees with mental health problems, getting them help and facilitating their return to work.
LINKS:
Summary of Staying@Work at the Watson Wyatt website at < http://www.watsonwyatt.com/canada-english/research/resrender.asp?id=W-860&page=1 > (Full report available online for $40.00 Cdn).
A summary of What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers at the Board's website at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/Boardwiseii/LayoutAbstract.asp?DID=1433 >
What You Need to Know about Mental Health: A Tool for Managers (15 pages, PDF) at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/boardwiseii/temp/BoardWise2CPKLKIGAEBHGNANDELNMPABM20051213142458/087-06 MentalHealthBooklet.pdf>
----------
FEW CANADIAN EMPLOYERS PROVIDE HOLIDAY BONUSES, MANY STILL HOST COMPANY PARTIES:
Following a survey of nearly 100 companies across Canada, consulting firm Hewitt Associates reported on December 6 that only one-third of Canadian organizations will offer holiday bonuses in 2005. Of those organizations, 53% will offer gift certificates and 38% will offer cash. The median cost of cash bonuses is $250, compared to $40 for gift certificate/gift card expenditures. 82 % of Canadian companies plan to host a holiday party during the holiday season.
LINK:
Summary of Holiday gifts and bonuses survey (3 pages, PDF) at the Hewitt Canada website at < http://was4.hewitt.com/hewitt/resource/newsroom/pressrel/2005/12-06-05eng.pdf > (Full survey available from Hewitt's upon request).
----------
Book of the Week: Paths to Union Renewal: Canadian Experiences
edited by Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk. Peterborough, ON. Broadview Press, 2006. 336p. ISBN: 1-55193-058-7
This book documents the renewal initiatives undertaken by unions in Canada. Unions, separately or in coalition with other unions or social groups, have begun to re-examine the basis of their organization and activity in the face of a harsher economic and political climate. Decades-long union decline in the United States has resulted in new ideas being adopted by unions in that country and this in turn has led to debates on renewal strategies in Western Europe and Australia.
Despite this, there is little research on union renewal in Canada. Paths to Union Renewal fills this gap by critically examining union renewal in a variety of unions, providing a basis for informed discussion and debate on the role and place of trade unions in Canada.
About the Editors:
Pradeep Kumar is Professor Emeritus and director of MIR program in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University, Kingston.
Christopher Schenk is Research Director of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 10:25 AM
