Legal Aid Saskatchewan CEO threatens CUPE member with defamation lawsuit

Union recently conducted non-confidence vote

Legal Aid Saskatchewan CEO threatens CUPE member with defamation lawsuit
CUPE Local 1949 — the union who represents all non-management staff at Legal Aid — recently conducted a membership wide vote of non-confidence against Goebel. GOOGLE STREET VIEW

A member of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 1949 has been threatened with a lawsuit in retaliation of efforts to represent the six members who were laid off when Legal Aid Saskatchewan privatized the majority of duty counsel work in the Saskatoon office this summer, said the union.

In a letter provided by CEO Craig Goebel’s legal counsel, CUPE member Val Harvey was threatened with a defamation law suit, according to CUPE.

“Instead of trying to rebuild trust with our members and addressing the lengthier remand rates that have resulted from his privatization scheme, Goebel is attempting to muzzle our members,” said Wanda Towstego, CUPE Local 1949 president. “The result of these threats may have a chilling effect on our membership who may hesitate to exercise their rights as a union member for fear of retaliation”

CUPE Local 1949 — the union who represents all non-management staff at Legal Aid — recently conducted a membership wide vote of non-confidence against Goebel. The result was 95 per cent of members voting against the actions of Goebel and in favour of the non-confidence motion, said the union.

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