Accelerator Building, University of Waterloo Research + Tech Park
295 Hagey Boulevard, Suite 16
Waterloo, ON N2L 6R5
(all Phone, fax and email remain the same)

And we're here just in time as the new school year is about to begin. We're looking forward to working together toward another successful year of helping our area youth discover paths to careers. There are new and exciting programs that we'll be introducing this year in addition to our flagship Speakers Bureau, Business Visitation and other informative programs.

Along the way Milton has broken just about every rule in the old-school airline management rule book, re-invented the leadership role of an airline CEO and ruffled a few feathers with his no-nonsense views about Air Canada and Canada's airline industry.

Mr. Milton, Chairman, President and CEO of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc, who is also Chairman of Air Canada, held the position of President and CEO of Air Canada from August 1999 until December 2004. During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Milton led the corporation through some of the most significant challenges in airline industry history including an economic downturn, the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in United States, and the impact of SARS on Toronto. Mr. Milton also led Air Canada’s restructuring, which has positioned it to compete effectively in a new airline environment.

Come to Moving Business Forward on September 13, 2006 and hear Robert Milton’s story. He, and the other featured speakers will engage, inspire and empower you.

For tickets or more information visit www.movingbusinessforward.ca.

VANCOUVER - Unions in Canada must be required to be more transparent and financially accountable to workers, according to Union Disclosure in Canada and the United States, released August 30 by The Fraser Institute.

This new study examines the financial disclosure laws for unions in Canadian provinces, the Canadian federal government, and the United States. Disclosure laws regulate the quality and quantity of financial information that must be made public.

Canada Compared to the United States

In 2004, the United States implemented reforms to its union public disclosure laws requiring significantly more information from unions. As a result, all unions, regardless of their size, are required to submit prescribed financial statements to the Federal Department of Labor (DOL).

For example, large unions-those that spend over $250,000-are required to provide detailed information for 47 financial items and another 21 non-financial items organized into two financial statements and 20 supporting schedules. Less onerous requirements are imposed on smaller unions. All statements submitted to the DOL are posted on its web site in order to allow for anonymous access.

"Perhaps most critically, all unions in the United States must specify the breakdown between spending on collective representation and other spending not related to the representation of union workers, such as political and social advocacy," explained Jason Clemens, director of the Institute's Centre for Labour Market Studies and a co-author of the study.

Unfortunately for Canadian workers, the study found that in Canada disclosure of union information was much more limited. Neither the federal government nor any Canadian province require unions to publicly disclose financial information. Eight jurisdictions in Canada (7 provinces and the federal government) mandate some financial disclosure to union members if formally requested.

Although this option allows union members to obtain information, it precludes the type of anonymous and non-confrontational inquiries permitted in the United States. However, even the information required in these 8 Canadian jurisdictions is weak. For example, only 4 of the 7 provinces require that the financial information be audited by a third-party.

"No Canadian jurisdiction mandates the amount of detail that unions are required to disclose," commented Clemens. "Most importantly, there is no requirement for a union to distinguish between spending on collective representation and spending on political and social activities."

Worker Choice Laws - Exacerbating the Differences

Workers in the United States cannot be compelled to join a union as a condition of their employment. In addition, US workers can opt out of union dues that are not directly related to their representation. Workers in twenty-two US states - referred to as the Right-to-Work states - also have the ability to opt out of all union dues regardless of their nature. In contrast, no Canadian jurisdiction prohibits union membership as a condition of employment and workers can be required to pay full union dues.

"Canadian workers are exposed to a double bias," noted Clemens. "They can be forced to join and financially support a union while having limited access to detailed information about how the union uses their money."

Benefits of Disclosure Laws

Public financial disclosure allows interested parties to gauge the financial health and performance of their union. Transparency based on public disclosure was also deemed to improve the governance of organizations generally. Union transparency also allows workers to make more informed decisions regarding their preference for collective representation.

Recommendations for Canada

Prior to 1998, unions in Canada were required to file financial returns to the federal government under the auspices of the Corporations and Labour Unions Return Act. However, the portion of this act pertaining to unions was repealed in 1998 and nothing has taken its place.

The study recommends using the US system as a standard for reform. For example, the study suggests that Canada adopt a standardized disclosure requirement delineating representation (related to the collective agreement) and non-representation (political and social) spending.

The study does, however, acknowledge a number of problems with the US system. For example, US laws do not require unions to consolidate financial information to take into account the activities of affiliated international, regional, state, and local union chapters. The lack of consolidation amongst related unions means that it is very difficult for average individuals to fully understand the breadth and nature of union activities.

"Canadian workers have less choice with respect to potential union membership and dues payment than their American counterparts. Some positive level of public financial disclosure, akin to what American workers enjoy, seems more than reasonable," concluded Clemens.

Ottawa, ON The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) has filed a complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) against CHUM Ltd., claiming that the firm is in violation of its TV station licenses. According to CEP, CHUM’s recent cancellation of several stations across Canada means that the broadcaster is not fulfilling its obligations and commitments, and the union is asking the CRTC to call an inquiry into the issue.

"The dramatic reductions in local programming run counter to explicit commitments made by CHUM to the CRTC,” the CEP claim states. “The cuts also have the effect of reducing local content to such a level that at some locations, CHUM is no longer in compliance with its conditions of license.”

Stations most dramatically affected by the cuts, mainly in local news, include A-Channel Ottawa; A-Channel Victoria; CityTV Calgary; CityTV Edmonton; CityTV Vancouver; and, CityTV Winnipeg. CEP says that local news coverage has also suffered at the A-Channel in Barrie, ON.

CEP goes on to note that the cuts, which also included the loss of 281 jobs, came on the same day that CHUM announced the sale of its TV stations to Bell Globemedia.

"CHUM's contention that these cuts were unrelated to the sale and were due solely to poor ratings is a marvelous coincidence for the bottom line, and particularly the buyer," exclaimed Peter Murdoch, Media Vice President at CEP. "But at any rate, poor ratings do not permit a broadcaster to abandon its conditions of licence."

"Our concerns are two fold," Murdoch added. "The impact on our members at these stations has been enormously adverse, and we obviously want to mitigate those effects. But we also want to ensure that the commitments broadcasters make in acquiring licences have meaning.

“License conditions and legislation under the Broadcast Act are there to ensure that public interest is an integral part of media accountability,” he continued. “The purchase of a national network isn't an episode of banal reality television, this has an effect on the fabric of the country. We expect the CRTC to call an inquiry into our complaint immediately. Canadians want an opportunity to voice their concerns to our regulatory Agency."

“We expect the CRTC to call an inquiry into our complaint immediately,” says Peter Murdoch, Media V.P. of the CEP. “Canadians want an opportunity to voice their concerns to our regulatory agency.”]

With 150,000 members, CEP is Canada's largest union of media workers.

Canada's new political geometry

Here is today’s geometry snap quiz: how can you make two triangles plus ten equal provinces divided by western momentum equal one coherent country? A hint: if you answer “Senate reform,” you must stay behind and write “constitutional change is the kiss of death” 1,000 times. By Brian Lee Crowley
more

A reformed Senate: To what end?

The country has embarked on Senate reform. Or has it? If adopted, the constitutional amendment introduced in May 2006 (Bill S-4) will reduce future Senators’ terms to eight years. However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised no further Senate appointments until a process for electing nominees has been put in place. Some argue that such a process would require the agreement of a majority of the provinces representing at least 50% of the country’s population. Harper says this can be done by Parliament alone - as with Bill S- 4 - but has not yet indicated when legislation would come forward. It is thus possible that the term limit would have no real effect for some time. By F. Leslie Seidle
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Is Harper serious about Senate reform? Dead serious

Bill S-4, introduced on 30 May 2006, consists of three brief sections. If passed, it will cut the maximum tenure of future Senators from 45 years down to eight.. By Link Byfield,
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The retreat from meaningful Senate reform

The recent proposal by the Conservative government to limit Senators to eight year, renewable terms reflects a significant retreat from its original and forcefully stated position on Senate reform. By Senator Grant Mitchell
more

OTTAWA - Canada's largest union of forestry workers says the Harper government should not sign the latest softwood lumber agreement with the United States. An analysis of the agreement reached with on the week-end, says the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, shows that the latest deal is "significantly worse" than the framework agreement announced by Prime Minister Harper in April.

The CEP analysis says:

"This treaty is worse than the framework because:

- The scope of the treaty is expanded to capture remanufacturing.

- Regional quotas and the surge mechanism will operate on a monthly basis, not allowing balancing of exports over long periods.

- Proposed "regional exemptions" would make Canadian authorities responsible to American oversight and prevent Canadian provinces from enacting progressive forest policies in the future.

- The BC government is specifically prohibited from future changes to provincial policies that conflict with commitments that the Campbell government has made to the US.

- The US will be able to abrogate the treaty after two years on 3 months notice - a perpetual "gun to the head" of Canada meant to intimidate the Canadian industry and policy makers.

"The Canadian government should not sign this proposed treaty, and instead return to the negotiating table to get a better deal for Canada that provides stability for our industry and respects the integrity of Canadian forest policy."

CEP represents a total of 150,000 workers across Canada, with more than one third of them employed in forest related industries.

It would be irresponsible for the federal government to endorse this merger without fully considering both its benefits and its costs. Canada's natural resources are a vital part of the economy and our country's wealth. The impact of allowing U.S. ownership and control of two of Canada's major and historic mining companies is too important to leave solely in the hands of corporate executives.

Hargrove's entire letter can be found on the CAW's web site at: www.caw.ca/whatwedo/bargaining/bycompany/falconbridge/harper2.pdf

"The Canadian and Ontario governments must take an active role in reviewing this takeover bid to ensure there is not a negative economic or social impact on thousands of workers, their families and northern Ontario communities," said CAW president Buzz Hargrove. "This review of the Phelps Dodge Corp. bid must include an examination of the company's labour relations track record."

"The jobs of thousands of workers and the impact on their families and the community is at stake as mining executives and investors from various companies continue to attempt to take advantage of inflated global mineral prices and the potential for massive profits," Hargrove said.

This bid would take two major Canadian companies - INCO and Falconbridge - out of Canadian ownership and control. It is critical that Canadian governments closely examine this takeover bid because it will create one of the largest mining companies in the world with operations in more than 40 countries. Based on the potential purchase of INCO and Falconbridge's Canadian operations the new company would be the world's largest nickel producer.

As different takeover bids have been announced for INCO and Falconbridge the CAW has consistently outlined the case to ensure any merger or takeover has a long-term employment and overall economic benefit to the community.

The CAW is calling for the federal and provincial governments to negotiate a formal merger plan, which includes the following key principles:

- a moratorium on mine, mill and smelter closures;
- clear investment targets and timelines for Canadian investments;
- purchase of Canadian-produced supplies and services;
- full recognition of pension and other post-retirement obligations.

After the earlier INCO takeover proposal for Falconbridge, the CAW outlined a detailed merger plan that calls for a comprehensive review of the economic and social impact of any sale or merger of Canadian resources.

The CAW's "Two Sides of the Coin" statement on the proposed INCO-Falconbridge merger can be viewed on the CAW's website at: www.caw.ca/whatwedo/bargaining/bycompany/falconbridge/CAWJointStatementIncoFalconbridge.pdf

CUPE backs FCM's demands on municipalities and fiscal balance

OTTAWA - Federal, provincial and territorial governments must listen to municipalities and not rebalance public finances by downloading more onto their backs, says Canada's largest union. "Giving municipalities more work to do without giving them the right tools is not an option," said Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

"Federal and provincial finance ministers need to put the needs of our communities at the top when they hold their meetings next week," Moist said.

Moist made his remarks today as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) released its report, Building Prosperity From The Ground Up: Restoring Municipal Fiscal Balance, calling for, among other things, a clarification of the roles and responsibilities among the three orders of government, diversification of revenue sources for municipalities that grow with the economy, a national public transit plan, and a long-term plan to tackle the infrastructure deficit, including making the "gas tax" transfer permanent. "We can't and shouldn't rely on regressive user fees and property taxes to provide badly needed public services," Moist said. "Making the "gas tax" transfer permanent would be a start. Let's build from there and give municipalities revenue sources that grow with the economy."

About 63 per cent of Canadians want municipalities to get the full share of the federal gas tax now, not three years from now, as currently scheduled, according to a poll released recently by CUPE.

Statistics Canada figures on public finances released last week confirm that municipalities have suffered the most from downloading, reduced transfers and any "fiscal imbalance". Municipalities' share of transfers from other levels of government dropped from 26% of local government revenues in 1995 to only 17% in 2005.

This declining share represents $5 billion less in transfers at a time when municipalities face increasing responsibilities and challenges. This has led to greater pressure on municipal finances, public services, and increased property taxes and user fees.

"Strong cities and communities are vital for any healthy society and economy," Moist said. "And a fair society will not let its governments "balance" their fiscal arrangements on the backs of its communities."

OTTAWA - In response to Monday's announcement of the Conservative plan to dismantle Canada's gun control system and abolish the registration of rifle and shotguns, Coalition for Gun Control President Wendy Cukier said the following:

"This move will endanger the security of all. It will make it easier for criminals, cop killers and abusive men to get access to guns. A rifle or a shotgun in the wrong hands kills just as dead as a shotgun."

"By eliminating the registration requirement for rifles and shotguns, policemen will not be able to trace back these guns to owners. All illegal guns begin as legal guns. Fighting the illegal gun trade means we need to be able to trace all guns back to their source."

"Half the police officers killed in recent years have been killed b