Saskatchewan prepares to gut labour laws with Bill 85

Saskatchewan is about to dramatically overhaul its labour legislation, transforming it from one of the most progressive jurisdictions in Canada in terms of worker protection to one of the most regressive. You wouldn't know it, though, from reading mainstream news coverage.

The national media's near-total silence on the soon-to-be adopted Saskatchewan Employment Act, now being sped through the legislature as Bill 85 by the ruling Saskatchewan Party, is a bit puzzling given the unprecedented nature of many of the bill's reforms.

One exception was an article published last week by the Huffington Post that focused on what the law will mean for unionized workers. The impact on those workers will, undoubtedly, be dramatic.

Bill 85, Saskatchewan Employment Act, Erodes Union Power, Sets New Tone For Labour Relations In Canada

Canada's nascent public debate over union privileges and "right-to-work" laws has found an unlikely testing ground in Saskatchewan, which is about to pass sweeping legislation that could influence the dynamic of labour relations across the country.

The Saskatchewan Employment Act, also known as Bill 85, appears to contain only the least contentious changes to labour relations examined in a controversial government consultation paper that contemplated abolishing one of the labour movement’s most powerful tools – mandatory payment of union dues.