A crown corporation or a private company – what’s the difference? Let me share the story of the Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS).
Back when MTS was still a publicly owned crown corporation there were 1,750 workers with 79% of them working full time. Fast forward 15 years to 2011, MTS has been privatized and there are now 1,214 workers, a loss of about 30 percent. Further, only 54 per cent of the employees are full time workers.
This is a total drop of 536 jobs, but more importantly it is a loss of 627 full time jobs.
As a crown corporation MTS had a significant presence in Manitoba communities, from Thompson, Swan River, Flin Flon, Morden, Neepwa, to Portage la Prairie just to name a few, providing face to face service to the citizens and businesses of Manitoba and good jobs in the community.
Today, with MTS as as a private corporation, “the reach out and touch someone” era is a service from the past. All clerical jobs are now concentrated in Winnipeg and Brandon and many of the high paying executive positions moving east to Toronto.
Clerical jobs saw a drop of more than 30% with part time workers more than doubling. The loss of 536 jobs at an average clerical wage of approximately $24.60/hr means $24 million a year taken out of the economy and not spent in Manitoba businesses! And compare the more than $3.5 million annual salary of the private sector MTS CEO to that of the crown corporation SaskTel CEO of just over $350,000/year.
You can see the focus of a private company is very different than that of a public crown corporation. With a publicly owned crown corporation, investment goes back to providing lower rates, services and jobs in our communities rather than to the pockets of overpaid CEO’s and out-of-country shareholders.
I guess no one can get rich under a crown corporation…is that the real issue driving privatization?
Wendy Sol is Administrative Vice-President of the Western Region, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
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Privacy Policy
I. PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act requires under section 3:
The purpose of this Part is to establish, in an era in which technology increasingly facilitates the circulation and exchange of information, rules to govern the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information in a manner that recognizes the right of privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information and the need of organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.
The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals in the collection, use and distribution of personal information. This Policy outlines how and why we collect personal information and the way in which it is used.
What is Personal Information
“Personal Information” is information about an identifiable individual but does not include the name, title or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization. Therefore, information about an employee’s home address and telephone number and so forth is considered “personal information.”
MGEU is responsible for protecting your personal information in its custody, including personal information that has been transferred to, or received from a third party in the course of commercial activities for processing or other purposes for which you have consented.;
II. PURPOSE OF COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
MGEU collects, uses and discloses personal information to promote the value of public services to Manitobans, and to facilitate your participation in that promotion, should you choose.
- The MGEU collects, uses and discloses your personal information to:
- collect and publish your experiences and perspectives on public services;
- allow you to share your support for public services with your followers on social networks and with your MLA; and comply with the law.
Personal information may be collected, used or disclosed for any of these “Identified Purposes” set out above. If your personal information is not needed for one of the Identified Purposes, we will not disclose it without obtaining additional consent from you.
The information gathered from you may be received from:
- information you provide through forms on this website;
- your interaction with our social media presences on other websites;
- your use of this website’s social sharing and other communication tools.
III. CONSENT
No Consent Required
MGEU requires your knowledge and consent before we may collect, use or disclose your personal information, except in special circumstances. No consent is required for MGEU to:
Collect Information:
- If the personal information is publicly available (for example, in a phone book).
- If knowledge and consent will compromise the availability and accuracy of the personal information and it is necessary to investigate a breach of an agreement or contravention of a law (for example, in a fraud investigation, an investigation by the police, or in situations otherwise permitted by the law).
Use Information:
- In the same circumstances as in collection, and;
- In an emergency situation respecting that person
Disclose Information:
- To your lawyer;
- To comply with a law, subpoena, warrant or rules of court;
- To the authorities;
- In an emergency involving that person;
- 100 years after its gathered, 20 years after death;
- Publicly available personal information.
Consent
There may be certain cases where your consent will be explicit, for example by submitting your story through our website’s form, and checking the box giving us permission to publish your story.
If any of the personal information that we collect is sensitive, such as health information, we will obtain additional written or oral consent from you before collecting, using or disclosing the information.
IV. LIMITATIONS ON USE, DISCLOSURE AND RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
MGEU does not disclose sensitive information for a new purpose beyond that to which you have consented. You may withdraw your consent at any time upon reasonable notice, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
Should you wish to withdraw your consent, please contact our Privacy Officer.
Depending upon the nature of your personal information, MGEU may retain it for an indefinite period of time. Once MGEU determines that the information is no longer required, it will be destroyed or personal identifiers will be removed.
V. SECURITY OF INFORMATION
Filing Systems
MGEU ensures that all files are stored in cabinets or offices that are not accessible to members or local officers who are at the office. In addition, pass cards are required to gain access to the internal office past the reception area.
Access to Electronic Personal Information
In order to protect your electronic personal information, a login and password is required to access this information. Electronic personal information is protected through the use of firewalls to prevent third party access.
Destruction of Personal Information
MGEU shall take care when storing or destroying your personal information in order to prevent unauthorized access, or disclosure.
VI. ACCESS TO INFORMATION
A member may access their personal information by contacting the Privacy Officer in writing. The Privacy Officer will provide access to the worker’s personal information within 30 days. There may be a nominal cost for access, plus a reasonable photocopying or postal charge imposed.
Access will not be provided or may be restricted if access would reveal information that:
- Discloses a third party, unless it can be severed or it is an emergency
- Is the subject of litigation;
- Violates Solicitor – Client Privilege;
- May harm another person’s life or security; or
- Could harm the union’s competitive position.
If information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to have MGEU amend the information. If MGEU refuses to amend the information as requested, you may attach a notation to their file.
VII. THIRD PARTY ACCESS
MGEU does not sell personal information to third parties.
VIII. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint related to this Policy or any of our procedures, please contact our Privacy Officer. If your complaint is justified, we will take the steps necessary to resolve the issue, including amending our Policy and practices, if necessary.
If we are unable to resolve your concern, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or if applicable, the provincial Privacy Commissioner.
You may contact the Privacy Commission at:
Address:112 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H3
Telephone No: (613) 995–8210 or Toll Free 1–800–282-1376
Fax No: (613) 947-6850
E-mail Address:info@privcom.gc.ca
Internet:http://www.privcom.gc.ca
IX. PRIVACY OFFICER
If you have any questions about this policy, you can direct your inquiries to our Privacy Officer at the telephone, e-mail address, or mailing address listed below.
For more information, to file a complaint, to make enquiries, or to opt out of all or parts of this Policy, please contact MGEU’s Privacy Officer.
Privacy Officer: Jean-Guy Bourgeois
Address: 601 – 275 Broadway Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 4M6
Telephone No: (204) 982-6441
Fax No: (204) 982-2146
E-mail Address:
This Policy may be updated from time to time as policies, procedures or technologies change.