SGEU Anti-Privatization Handout - Part Two

Title - What SLGA Employees Need to Know About Privatization

There will be a provincial election in the near future and a change of government opens up the very real possibility that liquor stores will be privatized.

Organizations representing private business are aggressively pressuring politicians to turn liquor sales over to private business quickly, with little public consultation.

Privatization means job loss

More than 900 SLGA employees in 64 communities -including 400 rural employees
-will face major job loss if the government sells off SLGA liquor stores and warehouses.

Loss of government revenue will ultimately threaten other public sector jobs, too.

In Alberta the promise of more 'Mom and Pop' outlets was quickly eclipsed by large corporations, like grocery chains, taking over the market. Wages dropped 50 per cent after privatization.

Privatization reduces community safety

Organizations like MADD and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health point to research
that indicates privatization brings fewer controls and increased consumption; they say
this opens a Pandora's Box of related social problems.

What is SGEU doing?

We've launched a public campaign to remind Saskatchewan people that SLGA employees help ensure the socially responsible sale of liquor. The campaign includes:

• A joint advertising campaign with SLGA to promote the 'ID under 25' initiative.
• Working with community groups that share our concern for socially responsible alcohol control. • A newspaper advertising campaign that focuses on our commitment not to sell liquor to minors.
• Research into how privatization would affect Saskatchewan.
• Letters and presentations to political decision' makers.

We want to build the public's trust in the services we provide, and to convince the politicians there is no reasonable justification for privatization.

PRIVATIZATION

What you can do

Talk to friends.

• Talk to political candidates. Pay attention to the news; write letters to the editor and participate in phone-in shows when the privatization issue is raised.

• Learn more -contact SGEU for fact sheets and background research.

When called on, participate in letter-writing campaigns and petitions in support of public liquor sales.

Send an email to Gayle Marteniuk, chair of the SGEU Anti-Privatization Standing Committee at anti-privatization@shaw.ca. State how your work makes a positive contribution to your community -we'll use members' own words 10 help educate others. Also email your questions, concerns, and strategy ideas.

Above all, value yourself and the work you do for the public!

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Some questions for the SGEU

• Where is the evidence that "organizations representing private business are aggressively pressuring politicians to turn liquor sales over to private business"?
• "Organizations like MADD and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health point to research that indicates privatization brings fewer controls and increased consumption; they say this opens a Pandora's Box of related social problems." Let's see the research.
• "When called on, participate in letter-writing campaigns and petitions in support of public liquor sales". Called on, by who? Who's aggressively pressuring who?

Finally... Did you catch the hilarious inconsistency?

Stop privatization by sending an email to Gayle at her SHAW email address?

I wonder if Gayle has a Shaw home phone as part of her bundle? It will probably save her some money over SaskTel...