Labour passes resolution condemning proposed EDS deal

CBC Saskatchewan, 1 November 2002, 07:57 PM CST

REGINA—Organized Labour in Saskatchewan is holding to its plan to derail a deal that would overhaul the province's computer services. Friday, delegates attending the annual convention of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour passed a resolution calling on the government to drop the deal.

The resolution came from Barry Nowoselsky of the Saskatchewan Government Employees' Union. He also told cabinet officials on Thursday to shelve the deal proposed by Texas-based, Electronic Data Services. Friday he echoed his sentiments. We're saying no to the government of Saskatchewan as far as bartering our jobs away. It's unacceptable and we're not talking about something that does not make sense for the people of Saskatchewan and we want it stopped, he said during a conference in Regina on Friday.

So far only preliminary discussions have been held with the American Company, E.D.S. The province says it will not give any other companies a chance to bid on the deal.