The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) is planning to hold a rally on Thursday at the Saskatchewan Legislative building where hundreds of workers will demand better wages and solutions to the cost of living crisis. The planned rally is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and stems from the SFL’s 66th annual convention in Regina, which began on Oct. 26 and will run until Oct. 28. The theme of this year’s convention is “speaking up,” which encourages people to come together and call for better workplace conditions and safer workplaces. There are a number of issues that will be addressed at the convention, including affordability, inflation, and wages, according to Lori Johb, SFL president. “We often hear about a worker shortage in our province, but we firmly believe it is more of a wage shortage,” she explained. “If people were getting paid decent wages and being appreciated at their jobs, they would not be hard to fill.” This is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic the convention has been held in person. “It is really exciting to have 500 people in the room debating and talking about issues important to working people,” Johb said. Johb added there are many benefits to finally having the convention in person. “It does not matter if you are a health care worker or if you work underground at potash mine, all our issues are the same and that solidarity in that room (the convention) is just amazing,” Johb said. SFL held a panel Wednesday afternoon reflecting on the creation of Occupational Health and Safety Act (OH&S) in 1972. “The introduction of the OH&S Act in Saskatchewan brought workers the right to know, and the right to participate and the right to participate in workplace committees to change the workplace,” SFL Parliamentarian Barb Byers explained. The convention will have guest speaker Don Morgan, the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, before heading to the legislative grounds for the rally about wages on Thursday.
