NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the province to bring the parties together through binding arbitration to resolve the lock-out at the Co-op Refinery in Regina.
NDP calls for funding as poor infrastructure under Sask. Party leave workers clinging to their desks
The Sask. Party are letting people, workers and patients, down in Saskatoon’s hospitals with massive infrastructure backlogs at both St. Paul’s Hospital and the Royal University Hospital. According to a Freedom of Information request, workers at St. Paul’s are holding on to their desks to prevent their chairs from sliding down sloping floors.
“Because of Sask. Party neglect of infrastructure issues, staff are getting sore arms from holding themselves in place,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “Healthcare workers have a stressful enough job as it is, dealing with understaffing and overcrowding. It’s shocking that fixing these sloping floors hasn’t been a priority for the Sask. Party.”
NDP Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Critic David Forbes calls for special mediator to help end Refinery lockout
“As the lock-out at the Co-op Refinery continues to drag on, it’s become clear that the province needs to step in,” Forbes said. “Today I have written to the Minister of Labour asking for the province to appoint a special mediator to help both parties negotiate a fair deal and end the lockout. For the sake of public safety and in the interests of our provincial economy, this is a step that needs to be taken.”
NDP call for full disclosure of Sask. Party travel expenses
The NDP has received a $1,700 fee estimate for a Freedom of Information request for Scott Moe’s expenses for a single year.
“This is shocking and wrong,” said NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic David Forbes. “Premier and minister’s expenses should be fully public, full stop.”
New numbers show majority of Saskatchewan people near insolvency, bankruptcies rising, as Sask. Party continues to offload costs onto working people
By this week’s numbers:
- 52% of Saskatchewan people say they couldn’t cover a $200 expense at the end of the month (MNP).
- 45% are experiencing “debt hopelessness,” the belief that they won’t be able to cover their expenses this year without going deeper into debt (MNP).
- Bankruptcy filings in the province are up 24% year over year, worst in the country (OSB).
- Retails sales are down 2.2% year over year in Saskatchewan, ranking ninth among the provinces (StatsCan).
- Employment Insurance claims have increased 11% year over year (StatsCan).
- Investment in building construction is down 10% year over year, while investment in residential construction is down 18% year over year (StatsCan).
Ryan Meili writes to Scott Moe on Co-op lockout, calling for return to table
NDP Leader Ryan Meili issued the following statement on lock-out at the Federated Co-op Refinery:
“Public safety and the wellbeing of our economy and workers here in Regina are threatened by this increasingly tense situation. Today I have written to Premier Moe asking him to join me in calling on the Co-op Refinery to agree to return to the table with Unifor Local 594 and negotiate a new collective agreement. We need the parties to come together and negotiate a fair deal.”