LABOUR LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTS

REGINA — Here are some changes contemplated in the Saskatchewan Employment Act, introduced Tuesday: days • Permit per week five, or eight-hour four, 10hour • Add days leaves per week. for organ donation and for attending citizenship ceremonies.

• Lower qualifying period for maternity, parental and adoption leave to 13 weeks from 20.

• Allow a common date for calculating vacation entitlements as long as it doesn’t reduce entitlements.

• Index minimum wage to annual change in average wage and Consumer Price Index, all increases subject to cabinet approval.

• Remove ability to approve a lower minimum wage for persons with disabilities.

• Enable payment of wages by other means like prepaid cards.

• Stipulate no one can be paid differently based on grounds prohibited in the provincial human rights code.

• Increase maximum employment standards fine to $50,000 from $10,000.

• Allow time banks for overtime hours worked on agreement of employer and employee.

• Increase occupational health and safety penalties for individuals ($500,000) and corporations ($1.5 million).

• Include a definition of “supervisory employee” that would restrict a supervisor from belonging to the same bargaining unit as those they supervise.

• Require unions to provide audited financial statements and disclose vote results to members.

• Clarify that employers are to remit dues to the local unions rather than head offices.

• Expand ability to seek a decertification if a union has been inactive for three or more years.

• Allow applications to decertify any time after the first 24 months and 12 months after an unsuccessful application. • Remove requirement to transfer union certification and collective agreement when a business successfully bids to provide cafeteria, janitorial or security services in a governmentowned building.

• Provide the minister with tools to assist bargaining parties to reach a resolution including mediation, conciliation and arbitration.

• Require parties to observe a 14-day cooling off period before a strike or lockout can occur.

• Allow a last offer vote to occur any time after notice to bargain has been given.

• Clarify all employees of the bargaining unit at the time of the notice to bargain can vote.

• Enable the minister to request a vote if determined to be in the public interest.

• Remove authority so collection of any fines levied by a union must be by an order of the court upon a member.

• Create a “placeholder” for essential services laws while awaiting guidance from the Court of Appeal.