(May 21/08) Saskatchewan has passed new legislation that changes the way unions are certified in the province and introduces new guidelines for the delivery of essential services.  These new rules help bring Saskatchewan in line with most other provinces on these two important labour issues.

Under the amended Trade Unions Act:

• Secret ballot votes for certification/decertification applications will be permitted, and a majority of persons eligible must actually vote for the outcome to be binding.
  
  
• Unions may apply for certification with 45% support; under the previous rules, only 25% of employees needed to sign union cards to trigger a certification vote
  
  
• Employers are allowed to communicate with their employees to share facts and opinions, but there must be no intimidation, coercion or threat involved  
  
  
• A 90-day time limit for filing unfair labour practice complaints to the Labour Relations Board will be introduced

The Act Respecting Essential Public Services now requires public sector employers and unions to negotiate essential service agreements before the expiry of existing collective agreements.  Where no such agreement is reached, employers will designate the essential services and employees required – and the union may appeal to the Labour Relations Board if it disagrees.  This change doesn’t prevent a strike, it simply means employer and union will be asked to negotiate ahead of time to determine which services are essential, and what they are going to do about them in the event of a strike.

CRFA is an active member of the Saskatchewan Business Council, a group of 53 employer groups who supported these important pieces of legislation.  Having these new rules in place will ensure a more open and accountable working environment for both employers and employees in Saskatchewan.