A judge of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench allowed the claim, ruling that the Institute was acting as an agent for the Association’s members in providing a "conduit" for the payment of their share of the premiums, and therefore owed them a "fiduciary" duty, a duty of special care. As an agent, the judge noted, the Institute was not permitted to retain the proceeds from demutualization, as to do so would be to profit from its agency. Furthermore, the judge held, the monies were subject to a "constructive trust" in the employees’ favour.

The IBEW, having a position on the CLC Executive Committee, supports the action being taken by the CLC regarding this very important First Ministers’ Meeting in Ottawa September 13^th – 15^th to work out what is expected to be the framework for the future on Health Care. The perennial issue of funding, waiting lists, pharmacare and homecare are key issues at this meeting.

The Labour movement, along with its coalition partners, intends to ensure that its voice is heard in this debate as our members have a vital interest in maintaining a good public health care system. Labour had representatives at the recent Premiers’ meeting on this subject, and the CLC has produced a document to ensure that our voice is heard at the First Ministers’ Meeting on Health Care.

The CLC has agreed on this basic message:

Canadians want a deal to fix the problems with health care. A deal that strengthens, expands and sustains public Medicare, and that:

• restores the federal share of funding to 25% of costs
• delivers accountability for those federal dollars
• cuts wait times
• stops for-profit care
• expands Medicare to include coverage of pre- scription drugs and home care.

The essence of the message of labour is that "Medicare is sustainable. For profit care is not."  Although the Meeting on Health Care may be over by the time you are reading this letter, you are advised to continue to lobby your MP to support all of the above.

The Conference Board of Canada identifies and briefly describes what it considers to be the most important issues for human resource managers in the next 2 years. These include:

• succession planning
• leadership
• employment branding to attract and retain em- ployees
• employee retention
• coping with organizational change
• valuing diversity
• communication between managers and staff
• meaningful measurement of human resource outcomes

An arbitration board has awarded health care workers in Nova Scotia’s Capital Health District Authority wage increases to a compounded maximum of 15.96% over three years. The employees, who are represented by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, had agreed to waive their right to strike on condition that issues which were not resolved through collective agreement negotiations would be submitted to binding arbitration.

In addition to economic increases of 2.9% in each year in the period 2004-2006, the board awarded annual "catch-up increases of 2.9% to eligible employees.

E.S. Fox from Niagara Falls is a large Ontario construction company that employs multi trades across Ontario, but also employs workers from outside Ontario. Recently an Industry Specialist from Canada Customs & Revenue Agency ruled that all E.S. Fox employees have been reassessed by an interpretation of the Special Work Site provisions and whatever he/she received for travel or living out allowance is taxable. This interpretation is at odds with what the Building Trades have discussed with Revenue Canada in the past.