Osborne “Respectfully Disagrees” With Dire Prediction On No-Layoff Clause

Original Source: VOCM

Finance Minister Tom Osborne says he takes exception to information provided to the St. John’s Board of Trade by Toronto-based labour lawyer Howard Levitt on a tentative agreement reached with NAPE.

Levitt was contacted by the Board of Trade to take a look at the tentative agreement. He contends that the guaranteed job security provided by the no lay-off clause is unheard of.

Osborne says both the union and government were clear on the commitment to no mass layoffs. He says Levitt was not in the negotiations and he respectfully disagrees with Levitt’s characterization on the issue.

As for severance, in a letter publicly released by the Board of Trade, Levitt asserts he has never before seen such a provision. You can read the letter here.

Osborne says in fact, it’s been negotiated before in this very province.

He says in 2012, the government of the day negotiated the payout of severance to the RNCA and CUPE at Newfoundland and Labrador Housing.