The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/51655
"The government robbed [the flight attendants] of what was a democratic opportunity," says Anne Gregory, act- ing director of CUPE's legal branch. "This is a company that declared bank- ruptcy twice and after agreeing to wage rollbacks and concessions to help the company, they didn't get to bargain." The pilots were met by a notice of dispute filed with the government in October, prior to a second round of talks, which appears to be follow- ing the same path as that of the flight attendants. That Harper has begun a war with the labour movement in Canada is clear to the Professional Institute of the Pub- lic Service of Canada, which has 60,000 white-collar professionals, including fed- eral government lawyers. Traditionally keeping an arms-length distance from labour matters, PIPSC voted in Novem- ber to join the Canadian Labour Con- gress in anticipation of layoffs, rumoured to be extensive in the coming months. In the late 1990s, PIPSC had voted against joining the CLC. But, back in the late 1990s, money wasn't as tight. Air Canada's pilots won nine-per-cent salary increases over two years in 1998. The airline made a profit of $427 million in 1997. A few short years later in 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy protection and most recently reported a loss of $46 million for the second quarter of 2011, considerably less than the $318 shortfall for the same quarter a year earlier. Formed in 1920, PIPSC's almost 100 years of political neutrality ended when 400 delegates rallied at Parliament Hill on Nov. 4. That same day, a private mem- ber's bill tabled by Conservative MP Russ Hiebert calling for greater financial dis- closures from Canadian unions crashed in the House of Commons in large part because of procedural strategies devel- oped by PIPSC, and slipped into the hands of the New Democrats. "In today's difficult economic times, our members are facing an increasingly complex labour environment, as well as a sustained attack on the part of government and its sup- porters in the business community," PIPSC president Gary Corbett said after the Nov. 7 vote. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is attempting to balance the budget by 2015, but among the roadblocks he faces is a reported increase in pay for pub- lic servants of $1.2 billion for 2012 as established through collective bargaining. Job cuts have already been publicized. Close to 800 positions were eliminated in August at Environment Canada, whose employees belong to PIPSC, along with 52 from the National Research Council. In October, Veterans Affairs Canada con- firmed that 500 jobs would disappear in the next few years. On the flipside, what hasn't been reported, according to the Canadian Tax- payers Federation, is an increase in public sector jobs of 35,000 since Harper took office in 2006 — to 420,000 from 386,000. "It is simply not correct to say that the Harper government is cutting the size of the federal public sector, or cutting spend- ing. The opposite is true," says Gregory ADVANCE YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CASE WITH CONFIDENCE NEW PUBLICATION SPRAINS, STRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: A MEDICALLY ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COMMONLY LITIGATED INJURIES LISA ZARETSKY AND BONNIE KOREEN WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESIGN BY JOHN HARVEY Sprains, Strains and Automobiles: A Medically Illustrated Guide to Commonly Litigated Injuries provides you with an understanding of the nature of an injury through a relevant personal injury focused framework. This medically reviewed guide is broken down into user-friendly headings including Location, Common Causes of Injury, Acute/ Short Term Treatment, Potential Medical Issues, Potential Ongoing Sequelae, Potential Long Term Functional Implications, and Potential Long Term Medical/Paramedical Needs. Additional features in this tabbed guide include a chapter on credibility issues, a glossary and detailed professional medical illustrations. AN INDISPENSABLE RESOURCE FOR HANDLING PERSONAL INJURY FILES, SPRAINS, STRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: A MEDICALLY ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COMMONLY LITIGATED INJURIES: • Provides lawyers, paralegals, insurance adjusters, case managers and rehab workers with an overview of pertinent medical knowledge of frequently seen injuries • Aids in evaluating personal injury cases and determining which experts to retain • Provides annotated detailed illustrations of every injury that can be used in Examinations for Discovery, Mediations and settlement discussions, as well as to help explain the case to your client ORDER # 983712-60713 $95 Softcover approx. 82 pages November 2011 978-0-7798-3712-0 Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order online at www.carswell.com 30 JAN UARY 2012 www. CANADIAN Lawyermag.com