The Northeast will see five layoffs after the province announced it will be privatizing cleaning services in government buildings.
Two of those layoffs will be in Tisdale, two in Melfort and one in Nipawin.
“This is not an easy decision for government,” said Nancy Cherney, the Ministry of Central Services’ assistant deputy minister for the property management division. “We recognize that there are real people behind these numbers that you and I are talking about, but we believe that it is the prudent thing to do to look at options that will provide best value for taxpayers’ dollars as we move forward in difficult financial times.”
The five workers will continue their jobs until June 30. On July 1, the province expects 12 firms province-wide to take over the work. Cherney said because the government is still negotiating with those firms, she couldn’t name the ones that will operate in the Northeast.
Wrong approach: union
Bob Bymoen, the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union’s president, said he’s appalled how the government is approaching the issue. He said the province issued the layoff notices and informed the media simultaneously, which is a poor way to treat employees.
“We’re also at a bargaining table, trying to negotiate terms and conditions for these employees,” he said. “They have submitted proposals as what they see as terms and conditions of work and while we’re at the table talking about that, the government has forced them to actually renegotiate those terms and conditions with the government without even the union as an agent – even though they elected to have a union. We think that that’s wrong.”
The union has filed an unfair labour practice application with the Labour Relations board.
Disagreement over savings
The government is anticipating it will save $3.5 million per year with the move. Bymoen disagrees.
“That’s hogwash, by the way,” he said. “When we do the math, they would have to save over $15,000 for every employee per year. That’s not on.”
The union divided $3.5 million by the 230 that will be laid off province-wide to arrive at that number.
“I’m not sure how the union is breaking down their numbers,” Cherney said. “I just know that we asked for proposals on what companies would think, on a per square-foot basis, it would cost them to provide the cleaning service to meet the standards that we identified as part of that proposal process and that’s the response we got.”
The workers receive between $16.30 and $20.43 per hour. Full-time, that would be $32,600 to $40,860 a year.
“I don’t know what the private sector is paying,” Cherney said. “We get different numbers from different areas, but that would be for them to decide, what the salary level will be.”
Bymoen said the government should be making cuts in other areas, like the amount spent on consultants, rather than privatize the cleaners.
“It’s deplorable for this government to pretend they’re going to balance this budget and get rid of this deficit that’s been around for years now on the backs of these workers. This province used to be able to pay these workers when oil was at $50 and below $50 a barrel. They still can today.”
Effect on workers
As for those laid off, the layoff notice gives them time to consider their options.
Bymoen said that according to the collective agreement, the workers could receive a severance payment or be able to access to jobs that they are qualified for that are either vacant or with less senior people in them. The union president added there wouldn’t be many options to get similar work within the government.
Cherney said the government gave preference to those firms that are willing to hire those laid off and to those firms owned by the employees. She said six of those firms are employee-owned and all 12 are willing to hire from those laid off.
