In a recent case before the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, Chair E. MacPherson held that an employer was obliged to provide a union with home telephone numbers of its members, apart from those that were provided on an express guarantee of confidentiality.

Chair MacPherson cited a well-known decision that declares the bargaining unit and the employer as equal partners in their collective relationship, and that the union is entitled to know employees’ names, addresses and telephone numbers to the same extent that the employer does. Of course, such information is not to be used by either party to impinge upon the privacy of the employees, but only for purposes necessary to the workplace relationship.

As U of S Employees are well aware, this Employer has not hesitated to send both emails and mails regarding the status of collective bargaining to the homes of employees. Old-timers in the trade union movement consider this bad faith bargaining in spirit, but the Saskatchewan Labour Board has ruled that communications “clarifying bargaining” are not unfair.

Interestingly, when ASPA sent an email to its members during its last round of bargaining, the Employer enjoined ASPA to cease using email for such purposes. ASPA has filed a grievance on this issue.

It seems unreasonable that, in the past, the Employer has not provided the USFA with the information necessary to clarify our positions with you. Upcoming negotiations will require the Association to survey the membership on several issues, and we are examining ways to technologically enhance that process. The Employer has provided many excuses, including technical difficulties in producing such a list.

Your Association is interested in your views on this and other topics as we approach collective bargaining. You can give us your input by writing directly to the Officers listed below.

Jim Cheesman (Chief Negotiator) jim.cheesman@usask.ca.
Doug Chivers (Chair) doug.chivers@usask.ca.
Jay Kalra (Vice-Chair) jay.kalra@usask.ca.